Naked Scientists Special Editions Podcasthttp://www.thenakedscientists.com/specials
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 23:58:51 GMTMon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT30enhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editionshttps://imagecdn.acast.com/image?h=1500&w=1500&source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenakedscientists.com%2FHTML%2Fuploads%2Ftx_naksciconfig%2Ftemp%2FNS_Specials_1400.pngNaked Scientists Special Editions Podcasthttp://www.thenakedscientists.com/specials
episodicThe Naked ScientistsSpecial scientific reports and investigations by the Naked Scientists teamchris@thenakedscientists.comnoThe Naked ScientistsFalcon-inspired drone technologyNew research shows that peregrine falcons hunt their prey using strategies similar to those used by guided missiles. Could this information be useful in downing drones that are flying where they shouldn't?...Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:15:02peregrine falcons,drone,anti-drone,guided missiles,prey,birdnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/falcon-inspired-drone-technology
The future of HIV researchDecember 1st is World AIDS Day. HIV AIDS affects 35 million people worldwide, and although the number of new infections is slowly decreasing, last year it still caused one million deaths. The virus, HIV, attacks the body's immune system by infecti...Fri, 01 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:15:22HIV,AIDS,virus,infections,research,diagnosis,naked scientists,retroviralnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-future-of-hiv-research
Could reflective particles limit global temperature rise?This week the UN Climate Change Conference has been happening in Bonn. This meeting is the next step for governments to implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which entered into force last November and sets out strategies to try to limit the r...Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:15:59climate change,global warming,UN,sulphur,reflective particlesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/could-reflective-particles-limit-global-temperature-rise
Type 2 Diabetes Reversed in RatsLast year, Diabetes UK reported that almost 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes. Around 90% of these cases are classed as Type 2, which is often linked with obesity. Interestingly, Type 2 diabetes has been reversed in people undergoin...Wed, 15 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:14:00diabetes, type 2, reversal, cure, pancreasnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/type-2-diabetes-reversed-in-rats
Sleep and fear learningTraditionally, researchers have recognised the importance of sleep in modulating the fear learning response when the sleep occurs after fear learning. To understand how sleep, prior to a fear learning task, may be important; researchers looked at the...Thu, 02 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:14:50sleep,fear learning,post traumatic stress disordernofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sleep-and-fear-learning
AI learning without human guidanceIn 2016, the world champion Lee Sedol was beaten at the ancient boardgame of Go - by a machine. It was part of the AlphaGo programme, which is a series of artificially intelligent systems designed by London-based company DeepMind. AlphaGo Zero, the l...Wed, 01 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:16:08reinforcement learning,alphago zero,supervised learning,artificial intelligence,machine learning,computer,board games,gonofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ai-learning-without-human-guidance
Cholesterol-like drug could protect your heartA drug based on a form of cholesterol might be able to reduce the damage done by heart attacks. Working with experimental mice, scientists in Australia have found that so-called good cholesterol, also known as "HDL", if injected into the bloo...Mon, 23 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:42HDL,cardiac cells,cholesterol,mice,diabetesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cholesterol-like-drug-could-protect-your-heart
Voice in the crowdImagine it's a Friday night, you're in the pub it's and really noisy. Your friend though is telling a great story, and you really want to hear it. But how do you separate their voice from the din going on around you? This week scientists...Thu, 19 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:02hearing,perception,brain,filtering,sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/voice-in-the-crowd
Polycystic kidneys in a dishScientists in the US have discovered a way to recreate the condition polycystic kidney disease using stem cells in a culture dish. The new culture system means that researchers can now begin to screen thousands of potential drug molecules to find way...Tue, 17 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:39polycystic kidney disease,cell culture,science,organsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/polycystic-kidneys-in-a-dish
LiFi one step closer to our homesWe all use Wi-fi nearly every day. It is short for wireless fidelity, using microwaves frequencies to transmit data to and from your phone. But, visible light can be used to for the same purpose - with a technology being developed at Edinburgh Univer...Tue, 17 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:12wifi,wireless fidelity,light,lifi,bulbs,homes,safe,usenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/lifi-one-step-closer-to-our-homes
Molecule dashes hopes for interstellar signs of lifeAstronomers are trying to understand where our solar system came from, how life got started here, and where else in the galaxy life may be lurking. Chemistry is very important in these processes both in terms of providing chemical building blocks fro...Wed, 11 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:13organohalogens,signs of life,interstellar lifenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/molecule-dashes-hopes-for-interstellar-signs-of-life
Neonicotinoids in majority of world's honeyThree quarters of the world's honey is laced with neonicotinoid insecticides, a new study from scientists in Switzerland has shown this week. The findings are based on an analysis of nearly 200 honey samples collected from around the world with th...Sun, 08 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:13neonicotinoids,pesticides,bees,honey,honeybee,beesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/neonicotinoids-in-majority-of-worlds-honey
Making robot muscleNatural muscle plays an important role in our human ability to control our movements, so could we give this ability to robots? Katie Haylor spoke to Aslan Miriyev from Colombia University in New York, who's developed a soft, synthetic muscle that ...Mon, 02 Oct 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:13:42muscle,robots,soft robotics,actuator,movements,silicon,ethanol,soft touchnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/making-robot-muscle
Algal proteins may boost crop yieldBy 2050, it is estimated that we will need around a 50% increase in crop yield to feed our rapidly growing population. However, it turns out that algae - the slimy green layer often found on the surface of ponds in summer - may provide a solution to...Mon, 25 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:21algae,photosynthesis,crops,gm plants,crop growth,pyrenoidnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/algal-proteins-may-boost-crop-yield
How do tissues grow?The complex branching patterns seen in the growth of tissues in the lungs, kidneys and pancreas have an elegantly simple mathematical solution......Sun, 24 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:21branching patterns,nature,complex behaviour,maths,random walks,tissue growth,lung tissue,kidney tissue,pancreasnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-do-tissues-grow
Baby-like skulls are key to bird successFrom elaborate peacocks to seagulls by the shore, birds are found in a wide range of habitats on every corner of globe and a recent study suggests that the key to their world domination may all be in their heads. Stevie Bain chatted with Arkhat Abzha...Thu, 21 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:13:37bird,skulls,paedomorphism,dinosaurs,reptiles,evolution,extinctionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/baby-like-skulls-are-key-to-bird-success
Household, not genetics, controls oral healthWe never really notice oral hygiene, except when it's bad. The latest research shows that we can't really blame genetics for this, but rather the oral hygiene of everyone else in your household....Thu, 21 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:13oral hygiene,teeth,microbes,saliva,mouth,dentists,food,disease,gum diseasenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/household-not-genetics-controls-oral-health
Measuring tectonic plate strengthOne major goal of scientists has been to measure the strength of tectonic plates. However, laboratory estimates of plate strength vary widely and in general seem to overestimate strength compared to real world observations. Thus, there has been a fun...Tue, 19 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:04naked scientists, tectonic plates, rock, earthquakesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/measuring-tectonic-plate-strength
New antimicrobials show promise in battle against superbugC. diff - or Clostridium difficile - is a superbug that can cause major problems in hospitals. It leads to life-threatening diarrhoea and intestinal inflammation in patients who catch it, it spreads easily, and patients who do recover often relapse m...Fri, 15 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:10naked scientists, superbug, C. diff, Clostridium difficile, antibiotics, antimicrobialsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-antimicrobials-show-promise-in-battle-against-superbug
Where do new drugs come from?Finding new drugs for our various diseases and ailments is one of the biggest industries in the world. But how does so called big pharma operate - how do they choose what to work on and how does an idea get from the lab to your local chemist? Astr...Thu, 14 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:25:01drugs,astrazeneca,pills,new drugs,big pharma,pharmaceuticalnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/where-do-new-drugs-come-from
Old maps highlight new understanding of coral reef lossKnown as the 'forests of the ocean', coral reefs represent an entire underwater ecosystem, teeming with life. But this ecosystem is under threat. Researchers from The University of Queensland and Colby College in the USA have used old 18th ce...Thu, 14 Sep 2017 15:31:36 GMT00:14:50nautical charts,coral loss,climate changenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/old-maps-highlight-new-understanding-of-coral-reef-loss
Uterus age may affect pregnancy successIt's well known that older mothers have more complicated pregnancies. For a long time scientists thought that old eggs were the reason for this and many women have made the decision to freeze their eggs to circumvent this problem. But new research...Tue, 12 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:13:53baby,pregnancy,older mothers,uterus,how old can i be to get pregnant?,aging eggs,developmental disordersnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/uterus-age-may-affect-pregnancy-success
Can bacteria affect the sex life of animals?Bacteria produce a molecule that stimulates sexual reproduction in the closest living relatives of animals, according to researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School....Thu, 31 Aug 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:59aphrodisiac,bacteria,choanoflagellate,evolutionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-bacteria-affect-the-sex-life-of-animals
Our hairy insidesOur hairy insides protect us from the full force of fluids racing through our bodies and may inspire future robotic design...Fri, 25 Aug 2017 11:45:46 GMT00:14:05hairy insides,robotics,internal body hairnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/our-hairy-insides
What's behind the rise in arthritis?Osteoarthritis is a common, painful joint condition that affects about 8 million people in the UK, and many others across the world. It stems from a breakdown of the protective cartilage at the ends of bones causing pain, swelling and movement proble...Wed, 23 Aug 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:26knee osteoarthritis,joints,painful,swelling,ancestors,modern lifestylesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/whats-behind-the-rise-in-arthritis
Foraging for foodWhat kinds of food might you be able to forage in a city green space? Katie Haylor went out to explore what wild food Cambridge in the UK has to offer with lifelong forager Antony Bagott.......Tue, 22 Aug 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:21:27foraging,roadkill,mushrooms,berries,leaves,pinenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/foraging-for-food
New Alzheimer's Culprit IdentifiedMore than half a million people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms of this disease, including memory loss and communication problems, are due to sticky protein build ups within the brain, called amyloid plaques. These plaques caus...Sun, 13 Aug 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:24memory,dementia,breakthrough,researchers,alzheimer,lysosomesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-alzheimers-culprit-identified
Violence weakens short term memoryShort term memory is incredibly important in day to day life, whether you're driving to work, having a conversation, or reading through the Naked Scientists website. However, scientists from Princeton University have found evidence that exposu...Thu, 27 Jul 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:00violence,short term memory,weakens,link,refugees,memory loss,warnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/violence-weakens-short-term-memory
How Does Sleep Affect Dementia?Alzheimer's Disease is one - very common - form of senile dementia. It usually affects older people and progressively robs them of their mental faculties. It occurs because a protein called beta amyloid builds up in the brain forming harmful depos...Thu, 20 Jul 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:31brain, beta amyloid, sleep and dementia, Alzheimer's and Sleepnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-does-sleep-affect-dementia
Searching for super-fast starsScientists now think they can explain why the hypervelocity stars - that's stars going at 600 - 1000 km per second are only spotted in one part of the sky, in the constellation of Leo, and it's down to their explosive origins. Douglas Boubert...Mon, 10 Jul 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:37hypervelocity,superfast,stars,shooting,fastest,galaxy,one,night,skynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/searching-for-super-fast-stars
Can brain training slow the progression to Alzheimer's disease?Millions of people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's Disease; Terry Pratchett was famously a victim of the condition, which progressively robs sufferers of their mental faculties. At the moment, no therapies are available to halt the disease, ...Sun, 09 Jul 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:42brain training,brain training app,alzheimer,dementia,ageingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-brain-training-slow-the-progression-to-alzheimers-disease
Why Do Beaches Disappear?Our coasts are constantly changing. And whilst human impact can have a significant impact Mother Nature also plays her part, tides and storms can change a beach overnight. Continuing with Marine Month, Chris Smith spoke to Oceanographer Simon Boxal...Thu, 06 Jul 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:19beach,coastal erosion,sand,pebble beachnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-do-beaches-disappear
Magnetic control of visionIf you're up for a bit of practical experimentation, give this a go. Hold your finger out in front of your face, fix your gaze on the tip and then shake your head from side to side, or nodding up and down. Without you having to think about it, you...Thu, 29 Jun 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:57nystagmus,eye problems,magnets,surgery,eye surgerynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/magnetic-control-of-vision
What lies behind an egg's shape?Many of us enjoy a boiled egg or two for breakfast, but why are hen's eggs round at one end and pointy at the other? Katie Haylor caught up with Mary Stoddard of Princeton University, who's trying to find out why eggs look the way they do....Wed, 28 Jun 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:32eggs,egg shape,birds,evolution,oviduct. membrane,owl,sandpipernofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-lies-behind-an-eggs-shape
The Rise of Deadly HeatwavesThe third week of June had everyone searching for the suncream as temperatures reached record breaking heights. But while most of us enjoy fun in the sun, prolonged heatwaves can have significant health risks and can even be life-threatening. Izzie C...Wed, 28 Jun 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:28deadly heatwaves,stay cool in heat,climate changenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-rise-of-deadly-heatwaves
What is Wannacry?In May 2017 hundreds of thousands of computers across the world were hit by a massive ransomware attack called Wannacry. The perpetrators encrypted the contents of users' computers and demanded payment to unscramble their data. What made the threa...Sun, 21 May 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:22:33cybersecurity,secarma,paul harris,wannacry,ransomware,computer virusnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-is-wannacry
Ancient protein thwarts virus attackWhen viruses attack our crops they can wipe them out, and in some parts of the world, this can be a death sentence. So naturally, scientists are keen to find a way to provide protection against these infections. Viruses usually attack by using parts ...Tue, 16 May 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:15:18virus,bacteria,ecoli,ancient,proteins,bones,lifenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ancient-protein-thwarts-virus-attack
Methane to MethanolMethane is 20 times worse than C02 as a greenhouse gas, so when it's created as a byproduct in oil rigs it's burned. This is better than releasing the methane into the atmosphere but it's not an ideal solution as it creates more C02. Jer...Wed, 10 May 2017 23:00:00 GMT00:14:25oil rigs,oil,climate change,greenhouse gas,methane,methanolnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/methane-to-methanol
Blood test for autismLooking at biochemical markers found in blood samples of those with autism and those without, researchers are looking to develop a blood test that could serve as a diagnosis tool for autism spectrum disorders....Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:15:57naked scientists, blood, autism, test, diagnosis, metabolismnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/blood-test-for-autism
Dental detectives shed light on ancient dietsHow the plaque found on the teeth of Neanderthals sheds light on their diets and lifestyles....Fri, 10 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:14:54naked scientists, neanderthals, diet, teethnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dental-detectives-shed-light-on-ancient-diets
Making Goodwill Go ViralPromoting social causes online can mobilise millions and raise huge sums of money. But it only leads to long term changes if the campaigns don't fizzle out prematurely. Social psychologist, Sander van der Linden, University of Cambridge, thinks he...Tue, 21 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:14:54goodwill,donation,als,ice bucket challenge,viralnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/making-goodwill-go-viral
The Battery Powered by Stomach AcidA tiny sensor capable of transmitting information from inside the body and powered by stomach acid has been unveiled by US scientists. The device was tested in a pig over the course of a week wirelessly transmitting its body temperature every twelve ...Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:14:16medicine,sensor,battery,stomach, power, pill, naked, scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-battery-powered-by-stomach-acid
Why are viruses more virulent in men than women?Some viral infections are more lethal in men than in women. This is usually linked to differences between male and female immune systems. However, mathematical modelling of the different ways some viruses can spread in men and women suggests it may, ...Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:55:06 GMT00:14:26viruses,viral virulence,gender and viral infectionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-are-viruses-more-virulent-in-men-than-women
Plankton Change Genes to Combat Climate Change2016 was another record-breaker in terms of global temperatures, and it's part of a longer-term trend which has seen 15 of the hottest years on record occur since 2001. One victim of this warming is the Artic, where sea ice is steadily retreating,...Tue, 24 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:14:41phytoplankton,diatoms,climate change,sea ice retreat,arctic plankton,global warmingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/plankton-change-genes-to-combat-climate-change
Shark chemical wards off Parkinsons DiseaseA chemical found in sharks can block the process that leads to Parkinson's Disease, scientists at Cambridge University have found. Know as squalamine, the substance prevents a protein called alpha-synuclein from accumulating on and damaging the me...Mon, 23 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:15:12squalamine,dogfish shark,parkinson,parkinsons,alpha-synucleinnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/shark-chemical-wards-off-parkinsons-disease
Big Brains Boost DeerUs humans boast about our big brains but until now, evidence has been scant to suggest that animals also benefit from having larger brains. Cambridge University's Corina Logan measured the skulls of 1314 red deer from the Isle of Rum to see if the...Fri, 06 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT00:15:17deer,skulls,brains,big,larger,clever,intelligencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/big-brains-boost-deer
Dissecting a CheetahWhat's your usual Thursday night out? The cinema maybe, or a gig? Well how about a live cheetah dissection at the Royal Veterinary College in London? Don't worry if that's not quite your cup of tea because we sent Connie Orbach along for...Mon, 19 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:33cheetah,dissection,animal,nature,live, mammal, catnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dissecting-a-cheetah
Climate 'Clamity'As the saying goes, "if you don't learn from the past you're doomed to repeat it," or words to that effect; which is why understanding what has happened to the Earth's climate in the past is critical if we are to make accurate ...Thu, 15 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:43climate,clams,quahog,500,years,oldest,changenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/climate-clamity
Antidote to Silent KillerCarbon monoxide poisoning is the common form of poisoning worldwide. Just in the US tens of thousands of people are killed or hospitalised every year by this odourless and colourless gas, which in is boiler, stove and vehicle exhausts and is also pro...Wed, 14 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:51carbon,monoxide,chemical,antidote,molecule,killer,silentnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/antidote-to-silent-killer
Does deforestation drive disease?An area of rainforest the size of Panama is lost every year to deforestation and we know habitat loss is probably the leading factor driving extinction today. However, another potential problem could be an increase in certain disease-causing organism...Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:07:00 GMT00:12:41deforestation,disease,buruli ulcer,food webnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/does-deforestation-drive-disease
Dark Energy MappedDark energy, the mysterious unknown entity which permeates all of space makes up 68% of the universe's total energy. Despite being such a large proportion of existence we still can't directly detect it. An international group of scientists ...Fri, 09 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:16Galaxies,map,Gravity,Cosmology,dark,energy,Astronomy,unknown,international,sky,night,detect,group,large,makes,university,still,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dark-energy-mapped
A new dimension for graphene production2D materials are objects that are only one or two atoms thick. Graphene is the most well known of these but many incredibly thin substances exist. These exotic materials are strong, flexible, semi-transparent and great conductors of electricity. Bu...Wed, 07 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:38graphene,2d material,manufacture,fuel cells,printingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-new-dimension-for-graphene-production
Bullying increases overweight riskWe've just come to the end of anti-bullying week and with 25,000 children using Childline's counselling sessions in 2015 to talk about bulling it clearly is still a problem for the UK. This problem appears to go beyond playground trauma with...Fri, 18 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:22Body,increases,Neuroscience,Psychology,Medicine,bullying,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bullying-increases-overweight-risk
Malaria's drug-resistance genes foundMalaria parasites in Cambodia are showing resistance to the front line drug Piperaquine making current treatment useless and putting lives at risk. Dr Roberto Amato, and his team, uncovered the genetic basis for this resistance; he took Liam Messin ...Wed, 16 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:13:57malaria,mosquito,drug resistance,mutation,genome,sequencingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/malarias-drug-resistance-genes-found
How to be an astronautWhen you were little did you ever dream of becoming an astronaut? Well Michael Foale did and he actually made it happen. Born in the UK Foale completed both his undergraduate and doctorate degrees in Cambridge before joining NASA and going on to beco...Tue, 15 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:47astronaut,NASA,michael foale,cambridge,green energynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-to-be-an-astronaut
Quantum leaps in quantum technologyQuantum mechanics describes the properties of light, atoms and the even smaller particles inside atoms, like electrons and protons. On these tiny scales, we observe strange effects that contradict our everyday experience and we are beginning to harne...Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:58quantum, physics, sensor, exhibition, industry, research, epsrcnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/quantum-leaps-in-quantum-technology
Bionic plant sensorsPlants can be good for the planet, nice to look at and often pretty tasty. But what if they were also high tech sensors that we could harness to detect harmful chemicals and even explosives in groundwater or the air around them? Michael Strano and hi...Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:12:50spincah,explosives,plant sensors,fluorescence,waternofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bionic-plant-sensors
Lunar Origins ExplainedCompared to a lot of the objects in our solar system the Earth's Moon is a bit unusual. A new theory, published in the journal Nature, explains how the Moon got to where it is today. Professor David Rothery, from the Open University, wasn't...Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:56collision,solar system,moon,earth,gravity,sun,spacenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/lunar-origins-explained
Ice-free summers in the Arctic?The Paris agreement is an international climate change treaty signed earlier this year by 192 countries and it aims to mitigate man-made global warming. It kicks in from this week. But will its targets be sufficient? Over half of the Arctic sea ice a...Wed, 09 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:58arctic,climate change,emission,carbon dioxide,ice,global warmingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ice-free-summers-in-the-arctic
Are aliens out there?Now is there anybody out there? Or should I say is there anybody out there? Graihagh Jackson phones home to BBC broadcaster Dallas Campbell...Tue, 08 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:18:01aliens,extraterrestrial,drake equation,mars,astrobiologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/are-aliens-out-there
Non-invasive prenatal DNA screeningConditions like Down's Syndrome, which are caused by babies carrying the wrong numbers of chromosomes in their cells, affect about one pregnancy in every 500. There are also many other inherited disorders that run in families but can't be dia...Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:50pregnancy, prenatal screening, DNA, cervical smear, babynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/non-invasive-prenatal-dna-screening
How small lies escalateWhite lies are widely accepted as an integral part of our everyday lives. And yet history has taught us how a series of small transgressions can snowball with detrimental outcomes. But can we really get desensitised to lying, and if so, what happens ...Thu, 27 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:17:23brains, honesty, lies, dishonesty, psychology, adaptation, fmrinofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-small-lies-escalate
First ever fossilised dinosaur brain foundWhen most people think of dinosaurs they'll likely conjure up images of the stabbing teeth of the T-rex or the cutting claws of a Velociraptor but what about the squishy bits of dinosaurs? To find out more Liam Messin went to the University of Ca...Wed, 26 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:17fossilised,brain,dinosaur,geology,evolutionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/first-ever-fossilised-dinosaur-brain-found
UK opiate deaths doubleAccording to the Office for National Statistics, the ONS, in England and Wales deaths involving heroin and morphine have more than double since 2012. The ONS say this is partially driven by a rise in heroin purity and availability over the last three...Mon, 24 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:35drug abuse,drug deaths,opiates,heroin,morphinenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/uk-opiate-deaths-double
Gender equality in STEMWe all know that men aren't really from Mars and women aren't really from Venus, we are both from Earth and there are more similarities between sexes and genders than there are differences. But, even after many decades of campaigning there ...Sun, 23 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:11STEM,gender equality,women in science,sexism,patriarchynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gender-equality-in-stem
Practising MedicineOn the 13th of October Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge turned 250 years old. As an established teaching hospital, it trains hundreds of medical students with the final three years their time spent on clinical placements. Connie Orbach went to ...Mon, 17 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:19:41bedside manner,addenbrooke,medical students,blood test,GPnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/practising-medicine
A powerful duo against HIVOver 35 million people worldwide are living with HIV. Treatments cost billions and don't come without significant side effects for the individual. Now, researchers from Emroy University may have found a new drug duo to eliminate the need for debil...Sun, 16 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:18HIV,AIDS,macaques,antibody,antiretroviral therapynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-powerful-duo-against-hiv
Hospital HistoriesAddenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge celebrated its 250th birthday this week. To find out more about the history of the renowned hospital, Georgia Mills was shown around the archives by Hilary Richie, uncovering stories of naughty nurses, torturous...Thu, 13 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:08addenbrookes,cocaine,hospital,deathbed,history,champagnenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/hospital-histories
Balancing the methane budgetLevels in the atmosphere of the greenhouse gas methane released accidentally by the oil and gas industry might be up to 60% higher than climate scientists had budgeted for. A new method combining long term atmospheric measurements of methane levels w...Sun, 09 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:22methane,gas industry,climate change,global warming,greenhouse gas,isotopesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/balancing-the-methane-budget
Genes linked to friendly dogsWhat makes dogs man's - or woman's - best friend? Scientists in Sweden gave a pack of dogs an impossible task to do: pushing along a plate that was actually stuck to the floor. The dogs that sought help from their owners were set up a differe...Thu, 06 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:28dogs,linked,Mammalian,dogs,in,to,Biology,sweden,owners,sniffed,georgia,pack,floor,plate,stuck,impossible,genetically,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/genes-linked-to-friendly-dogs
Bee Happy!Now you'd "bee" forgiven for thinking that bees are just simple insects that buzz about collecting nectar and fertilising flowers. But it turns out they have emotions just like us. Chris Smith spoke to Clint Perry, who works at Queen Mar...Wed, 05 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:17bee,emotions,happy,buzzing,positive, negativenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bee-happy
Are humans born violent?There is a centuries old debate about violence between people - is it something we're born with, or a product of our environment? Understanding the causes of violence is important if we want to try and reduce it, and so there have been hundreds of...Tue, 04 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:15humans,violent,born,environment,homo sapiens,killnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/are-humans-born-violent
Is the Bermuda Triangle really cursed?For this week's mythconception, Kat Arney investigates the many mysteries surrounding the notorious Bermuda Triangle.
...Tue, 04 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:11bermuda,triangle,cursed,mystery,really,truth,mythconceptionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/is-the-bermuda-triangle-really-cursed
Good fat fights bad fatSince the 1970s scientists have condemned fats - or lipids - as the culprits that cause heart attacks. But while that's certainly true of some fats, it's not the case for all of them. Because one, called palmitoleic acid, can potently protect...Mon, 03 Oct 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:31fat, lipids, obesity, diet, disease, mousenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/good-fat-fights-bad-fat
Older drivers drive safelyWe live in an increasingly mobile society, with many of us owning cars and driving around the place for all kinds of reasons - work, leisure, or visiting family perhaps. And this doesn't change as we get older, especially if we all have to keep wo...Wed, 14 Sep 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:23:20driving,elderly,safety,bristish science festival,visionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/older-drivers-drive-safely
How pollution harms your lungsAir pollution is a growing problem in many parts of the world, as is an increasing incidence of lung and breathing problems. Although the link is clear, it's not known exactly how air pollution damages our lungs at a molecular level. Kat Arney...Wed, 07 Sep 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:23ciliated cells,air pollution,lung disease,aryl hydrocarbon receptors,mucousnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-pollution-harms-your-lungs
Dawn of the AnthropoceneIs this the dawn of a new era? Or, more accurately, epoch? This week scientists internationally have been voting to create a new geological time defined by our human existence. They're dubbing it the Anthropocene and Chris Smith wanted to...Tue, 06 Sep 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:35geology,epoch,anthropocene,nuclear,humanitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dawn-of-the-anthropocene
Gold from garbageHow much gold have you got sitting in your desk drawer or up in the attic? Probably more than you think because a surprisingly large amount of the world's gold supply is tied up in old electronics. But getting it back out is chemically very tricky...Mon, 05 Sep 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:30gold,extraction,chemistry,amide,electronics,waste,precious metalsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gold-from-garbage
The secrets of CeresNASA's space probe Dawn has been orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres, which sits between Jupiter and Mars, for the past eighteen months. The probe is sending back data on this small body, which we previously knew almost nothing about. Last week, a who...Sun, 04 Sep 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:51ceres,ahuna mons,ice volcano,david rothery,dawn missionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-secrets-of-ceres
See-through rats bare their brainsScientists often study disease by examining thin sections of biological tissue under a microscope - a bit like watching a film in 2D. That's fine for some, but an organ like the brain is really complex, with neurons crisscrossing left, right and c...Thu, 25 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:49brains,rats,fluorescence,3d imaging,tissue clearing,dementia,ali ertuerk,brain traumanofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/see-through-rats-bare-their-brains
Meet the Octobot - the soft robot octopusImagine a robot. I'm guessing, after decades of droids and terminators, that the machine you're picturing is something metal, rigid and human-shaped. But this type of robot can only do so much. What we need are soft-skinned robots and this is...Wed, 24 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:05naked scientists, robotics, octobot, soft, octopus-shaped, autonomous, lucka bibic, 3D-printing, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen gasnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/meet-the-octobot-the-soft-robot-octopus
Empathy speeds up learningAlthough empathy is often associated with traits like helpfulness and generosity, not a lot is known about how helpful behaviour and empathy might be linked in the brain. Now, scientists have pinpointed part of the brain thought to drive us to learn ...Mon, 22 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:23empathy,patricia lockwood,learning,prosocial behaviour,brain,helpfulness,generositynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/empathy-speeds-up-learning
Why does female fertility fall with age?It's a well-known fact that, as a woman ages, her chances of falling pregnant drop. And this seems to be driven by a fall in the quality of the eggs that she produces. Why this happens though, in an otherwise healthy individual, is a mystery. Now ...Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:11fertility,francesca duncan,maternity,eggs,age,ovaries,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-does-female-fertility-fall-with-age
Sunflowers dance to their own beatIt's summertime and fields are filled with sunflowers, devotedly following the rising sun. But why do they do it? This is a question that scientists at the University of California, Davis, have striven to answer and Dr Stacey Harmer thinks she has...Wed, 10 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:46naked scientists, sunflowers, circadian rhythm, stacey harmer, gene, hormone, sunnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sunflowers-dance-to-their-own-beat
Dinosaurs stuggled with arthritisFor the first time, scientists have found a type of arthritis in dinosaurs and this is important because these creatures have an amazing ability to heal themselves from diseases that would normally kill you and me. So, if we can look to animals like ...Tue, 09 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:48dinosaurs,arthritis,diseases,joints,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dinosaurs-stuggled-with-arthritis
Zika vaccine breakthroughCases of Zika virus infection in Florida are continuing to rise, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued travel advice urging pregnant women not to travel to certain parts of the country. The good news is that scientists testin...Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:38zika virus,vaccine,rhesus monkey,latin america,zika
virus
vaccine
rhesus monkeynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/zika-vaccine-breakthrough
Great Red Spot storm warms up JupiterJupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System - a massive 318 times heavier than Earth - and it has been quite the 'hot spot' for news recently. NASA's Juno probe entered into orbit around Jupiter at the beginning of July, while in ...Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:48naked scientists, Jupiter, great red spot, atmosphere, planets, NASAnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/great-red-spot-storm-warms-up-jupiter
Data Mining Helps Pneumonia DiagnosisChildhood pneumonia is the number one killer of children under the age of five worldwide. The disease is a particular challenge for those living in developing countries, where there is a lack of clinical expertise and appropriate equipment to diagno...Thu, 04 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:26min,data,help,Computing,is,in,Disease,Medicine,Technology,armstrong,diagnose,distributed,adopt,mobile phone,equipment,mobile,doctors,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/data-mining-helps-pneumonia-diagnosis
New anti-cancer patchOne in 20 people develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime, making it the second-most common form cancer in Europe. Surgery is an option for treatment, but this can result in incomplete removal of the tumour. Now, researchers from MIT have develope...Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:16naked scientists,drugs,cancer,patch,drug delivery,materials,RNA,gene therapy,mice,natalie artzinofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-anti-cancer-patch
Chewing robot lives on a paleodietResearchers at the University of Helsinki have developed a chewing robot to study the tie between tooth wear and the dietary patterns of animals. Their shiny stainless-steel chewing machine with 3D printed parts can now show how the paleodiet of the ...Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:20chewing machine,tooth wear,evolution,paleontology,horse,dietarynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/chewing-robot-lives-on-a-paleodiet
Power of positive thoughtPeople who feel well tend to live well. They have a better immunity against infections and lower susceptibility to ill-health. Stress and depression, on the other hand, are linked to poorer functioning of the immune system, weaker responses to vaccin...Thu, 14 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:43positivity,placebo,immune,thought,neuroscience,happynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/power-of-positive-thought
Electronic nose senses pesticides and terrorism threatsThe most sensitive "electronic nose" ever has been built by scientists in Belgium. The portable "E-nose" uses spongy structures called metal-organic frameworks to pick up minute traces of molecules including harmful nerve gases. Luc...Mon, 11 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:14naked scientists, materials, sensor, terrorism, e-nose, chemistry, pesticides, sarin, gas, smellnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/electronic-nose-senses-pesticides-and-terrorism-threats
Royal Society Summer ExhibitionIt's summertime again and along with ice cream, sunburn and our other favourite British traditions, it's time for the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition, in London. We've been to see what's been going on...Sun, 10 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:17:21royal,society,science,space,birds,fungi,exhibition,outreach,communicationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/royal-society-summer-exhibition
Cyborg Cardiac PatchA system for growing heart cells on a microscopic silicon grid that can eavesdrop on their electrical behaviour is giving scientists a much clearer picture of how the heart works and providing a way to test new drugs much more safely. Long term it co...Sat, 09 Jul 2016 12:57:19 GMT00:14:28nanotechnology, charles lieber, cardiomyocytes, cardiac patch, heart modelling,chris smith,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cyborg-cardiac-patch
Getting every last dropDays of squeezing the last drop from your shampoo bottles are over! Thanks to researchers from the US, we now have a material which allows sticky liquids to flow freely AND this has big implications for recycling, as Philip Brown explained to Lucka B...Wed, 06 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:42naked scientists, shampoo, bottle, recycling, material, plastic, chemistry, coatingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/getting-every-last-drop
Life-saving helium discoveryHelium is the stuff that goes into party balloons and is also an essential ingredient in hospital MRI scanners. Most people have heard of helium but not many realise that we're in danger of running out of it. Luckily, Jon Gluyas from Durham Unive...Tue, 05 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:20Other,is,into,Chemistry,Medicine,Technology,armstrong,party,scanners,mri,dan
ger,ingredient,balloons,danger,hospital,running,running,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/life-saving-helium-discovery
Juno probe plunges into JupiterToday, NASA's Juno spacecraft has plunged into uncharted territory, flying closer to Jupiter than we've ever been before. Graihagh Jackson spoke to co-investigator of the Mission, Professor Stan Cowley from Leceister University......Mon, 04 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:54naked scientists, jupiter, juno, orbit, NASAnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/juno-probe-plunges-into-jupiter
Two Zika vaccine candidates discoveredBack in February the World Health Organisation declared the zika virus epidemic in Brazil to be a public health emergency of international concern. At the top of the list was the link between Zika infection and babies being born with microcephaly or ...Sun, 03 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:46Insect,in,and,microcephaly,brazil,epidemic,public
health,emergency,steps,babies,babies,international,born,chris
smith,public,virus,infection,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/two-zika-vaccine-candidates-discovered
Solar powered jet makes historic crossingSolar Impulse is a unique plane, powered not by jet fuel, but solar energy and it is currently on a record-breaking tour around the world. But how does that plane work and what is it like to fly? What happens when the sun begins to fade and the nigh ...Wed, 29 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:03naked scientists, solar impulse, energy, solar, light, sun, alternative, transport, innovation, flight, Andre Borschbergnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/solar-powered-jet-makes-historic-crossing
Mini-guts for testing cystic fibrosis theraphyCells collected from the intestines of patients with the disease cystic fibrosis can be grown in the laboratory dish to produce balls of cells that scientists are calling mini guts. These can be used to test a series of new cystic fibrosi...Wed, 29 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:15naked scientists, mini-guts, personalized treatment, cystic fibrosis, genesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mini-guts-for-testing-cystic-fibrosis-theraphy
Silky sounds - making violins from silkWhen it comes to making musical instruments, there's as much science in today's violins as there is art. While many manufacturers around the world are still creating wooden violins, others are turning to alternative materials such as carbon f...Wed, 29 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:01violins,silk,spider,instruments,musical,strings,manufacturingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/silky-sounds-making-violins-from-silk
Iron Up Against Heart FailureChronic Heart Failure is the inability of your heart to effectively pump blood around your body and affects over half a million people in the UK alone. So what causes it and could treatments lie in something as simple as iron? Doctor Paul Kalra is a ...Tue, 21 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:23heart,failure,medicine,iron, supplements, diseasenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/iron-up-against-heart-failure
Sudden cardiac death in the youngSudden cardiac death in the young, that's an apparently healthy person dying unexpectedly from heart-related issues under the age of 35, is rare but devastating. It is also something of a mystery to many scientists. So how can we try to prevent yo...Wed, 15 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:11sudden cardiac death, cardiac risk in the young,cardiovascular,screening,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sudden-cardiac-death-in-the-young
Turning Carbon Dioxide Into StoneCarbon dioxide is a problematic greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. Power plants are major emitters of carbon dioxide, but unfortunately, current methods of capturing and storing excess carbon dioxide have not been very effective. Only a s...Fri, 10 Jun 2016 08:45:00 GMT00:13:47greenhouse gasses,basalt,limestone,carbon dioxide,power plantnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/turning-carbon-dioxide-into-stone
The Longest Tunnel Ever BuiltOn June the 1st, Switzerland announced the opening of the world's longest tunnel. Called the Gotthard tunnel, it runs under the Alps to link Northern and Southern Europe; and at 57.5 km, it's fair to say, you certainly wouldn't be able ...Tue, 07 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:11gotthard tunnel,safety,eurotunnel,switzerland,technologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-longest-tunnel-ever-built
Immune System Surprisingly AdaptiveImmune cells are essential to the maintenance and repair in our bodies. However, an over-active immune system can lead to diseases such as arthritis, chronically inflamed wounds and atherosclerosis. Therefore, it is imperative to understand and caref...Mon, 06 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:31macrophage,primer,fly,embryo,immune system,innatenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/immune-system-surprisingly-adaptive
Fish Prefer Pastic Over FoodEarlier this year, the US banned microparticle beads from personal care products, but Europe has yet to follow suit. Now, researchers from Uppsala University are increasing the urgency as for the first time, they have been able to show that fish actu...Mon, 06 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:35perch,fish,larvae,microbeads,microparticles,microplasticsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/fish-prefer-pastic-over-food
Universal Cancer VaccineA vaccine that can teach the immune system to attack any type of cancer is being developed and tested by scientists in Germany. Cancer affects one person in every three. It's caused by genetic damage to our cells, which leads them to grow in an un...Sun, 05 Jun 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:39immune response,RNA,foreign body,vaccinenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/universal-cancer-vaccine
Does salt increase blood pressure?As a nation, the UK are above the intake guidelines for salt, which, for an adult, is 6g per day. To put that into perspective, there's about half a gram in a small packet of crisps, or one ham and cheese sandwich. But what does salt do to our ins...Thu, 26 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:19:21salt,health,blood,pressure,stroke, medical, intake, how, badnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/does-salt-increase-blood-pressure
Botox Effects are More than Skin DeepBotox is a popular cosmetic treatment where Botulin toxin-A injections paralyse your facial muscles, which relaxes smile lines and makes your skin appear younger. In comedies, it is often joked about for giving patients frozen expressions.
But no...Sun, 22 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:51Botox, cosmetic surgery, smile, emotion, recognitionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/botox-effects-are-more-than-skin-deep
Boiling Frogs?!This week we're tackling a myth sent in by listener Tim who says, "For many years I heard management gurus talking about the boiling frog syndrome.If you throw a frog into a pot of hot water it will immediately jump out. But If you ...Thu, 19 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:47frog,boiling,Marine,in,Chemistry,Zoology,Biology,myth,management,pot,transparent,color,harm,alive,jump,throw,sent,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/boiling-frogs
500 Years of RobotsRobots are everywhere, from the machines that work in factories to pop culture icons like the Star Wars droids BB8, R2D2 and C3PO. but this is nothing new. Humans have been creating robots for centuries, and a new exhibition at the Science Museum in ...Wed, 18 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:20science museum, eric, exhibition, robots, Londonnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/500-years-of-robots
The Maths of GamblingFrom maths hacks to poker playing bots, could there be a science to help you win big at the casino? Georgia Mills has been practising her poker face with help from Adam Kucharski......Sun, 15 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:58Robotics,Maths,maths,maths,of,Psychology,Technology,hacks,poker,bots,hacks,georgia,win,face,playing,big,science,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-maths-of-gambling
New link in how life beganThe origins of life on earth has been a mystery since, well since life began. Researchers from Germany this week have found a crucial link in explaining how we got from the soup of chemicals on early earth to the very first cell, lending support to t...Sun, 15 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:42link,how,in,Evolution,Earth,Chemistry,Biology,soup,rna,origins,mystery,support,chemicals,theory,early,lead,chemicals,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-link-in-how-life-began
Mouse Model Shows Zika Causes Birth DefectsOn February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization declared Zika virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern with the virus' continued spread through the Americas. Zika, which was previously considered to be fairly harmless, has been ...Sun, 15 May 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:12zika, virus, mouse model, birth defects, microcephalynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mouse-model-shows-zika-causes-birth-defects
Limbs from Gills?Could limbs have evolved from fish gills? While it might sound fishy, scientists from the University of Cambridge have discovered that the same genetic programme, triggered by a gene called Sonic Hedgehog, is involved in the development of limbs, fin...Mon, 25 Apr 2016 13:18:01 GMT00:15:11fish, gills, limbs, evolution, cartilagenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/limbs-from-gills
Archaeology Undisturbed?In Archaeology is it better to keep an object in the ground or dig it up? Connie Orbach spoke to curators of the Fitzwilliam Museum's Death On The Nile exhibition Helen Strudwick and Julie Dawson and physicist Nishad Karim to find out how techniqu...Wed, 20 Apr 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:16:52archaeology, physics, imaging, fitzwilliam, museumnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/archaeology-undisturbed
Brains: the bigger the better?Humans are awesomely clever, right? We've colonised the world, manipulated our environment, developed incredible technology and can even make brilliant science radio shows like this one. And it's all thanks to the squishy grey stuff in our sk...Tue, 19 Apr 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:13:16brain, size, intelligence, bigger brain, neuronesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/brains-the-bigger-the-better
Have STIs led to monogamy?We might have sexually transmitted infections to thank for our modern-day monogamous society, according to a new study from Canada this week. Between ten and fifteen thousand years ago, as agriculture was established and humans swapped a hunter gathe...Sun, 17 Apr 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:14:46LED,led,Anthropology,to,Evolution,Disease,Biology,settlements,agriculture,toe,sexually,lifestyle,ancestors,partner,ancestors,threat,hunter,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/have-stis-led-to-monogamy
Will your doctor be prescribing LSD soon?The drug LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, was first made in the 1930s in Switzerland by chemist Albert Hoffman, who also tried the agent on himself and described his psychedelic experience. LSD was widely used until the 1960s when it was made ille...Sun, 17 Apr 2016 23:00:00 GMT00:15:49LSD,drug,illegal,brain,medicine,legal,should,brain,therapynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/will-your-doctor-be-prescribing-lsd-soon
Invisible allies: the future of satellitesWithout satellites operating above us, we would be in considerable trouble; even ATM machines don't work without them! So this week, Graihagh Jackson has been at the Royal Academy of Engineering, where leaders in satellite and space technology hav...Fri, 25 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:40satellites,launch,world,planet,earth, space, STFCnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/invisible-allies-the-future-of-satellites
New Horizons reveals Pluto's secretsThis week, we've had a first glimpse at the wealth of data sent back by the New Horizons probe, which reached Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, last summer. Open University space scientist David Rothery has been taking a look at the papers chart...Wed, 23 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:48david rothery,new horizons,pluto,charon,new data,secretsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-horizons-reveals-plutos-secrets
New stroke rehabilitation techniqueStrokes are a major cause of permanent disability and they affect millions of people every year. The cause is usually a lack of blood flow to one part of the brain, which destroys the affected brain area and robs the victim of the ability to perform ...Tue, 22 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:15new,stroke,rehabilitation,electricity,therapynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-stroke-rehabilitation-technique
ExoMars spacecraft launches successsfullyExoMars 2016 launched successfully last week, but why are we going back to the red planet? This mission aims to seek out methane, which could be a crucial clue to whether there is life on Mars. ...Mon, 21 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:08red planet,methane,chemistry,ral space,mars,exomars 2016nofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/exomars-spacecraft-launches-successsfully
What's killing the bees?It is that time of year again when we should start to see bees buzzing around gardens but populations of bees have been declining recently as disease and lack of food stores are hitting them hard. With a third of global food supply coming from crop s...Fri, 26 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:53bees,bad,decline,declining,pesticides,diseasenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/whats-killing-the-bees
Coercion - It's easy to be badBack in the 1960s, US researcher Stanley Milgram stunned the world with a study showing that members of the public were prepared to inflict potentially lethal electric shocks on supposedly innocent volunteers, if a lab-coated scientist ordered them t...Thu, 25 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:50easy,be,to,UCL,lethal,ethical,shocks,raised,latest,public,electric,sense,control,ordered,questions,feel,someone,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/coercion-its-easy-to-be-bad
Game changing cancer cure?Results that scientists are describing as "unprecedented" in the treatment of cancer have been announced at a conference this week. A team led by Stanley Riddell, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the US, have deve...Wed, 24 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:34game,changing,cancer,weeding,chemotherapy,university of cambridge,conference,side effects,fr,tumour,chris smith,immune system,cent,healthy,target,immune,LED,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/game-changing-cancer-cure
Mapping climate changeMany people make the assumption that climate change means that places will become warmer; and indeed some will. But more important in some ways is how the climate in a particular geography might become more variable. Because, if the temperatures, clo...Fri, 19 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:13:38climate change,sensitivity,variability,vulnerabilitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mapping-climate-change
Here Comes Science: They Might be GiantsAmerican band They Might be Giants, famous for charting singles 'Birdhouse in your Soul' and 'Istanbul', have also made an album all about science. It's called 'Here Comes Science', and aims to teach children about th...Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:13:19they might be giants,Other,giant,science,come,be,controversy,georgia,brother,tour,songs,band,opportunity,teach,biology,children,speak,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/here-comes-science-they-might-be-giants
Gravitational Waves Discovered!!100 years after Einstein predicted them, scientists have finally discovered gravitational waves. For 25 years, hundreds of scientists across 16 countries have been trying to detect these elusive ripples and yesterday, the LIGO team announced they had...Fri, 12 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:12:16gravitational,waves,einstein,theory,relativity,LIGO,laser,found,discoverednofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gravitational-waves-discovered
Zika declared public health emergencyLast week, the outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil prompted the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency. The virus is spreading fast and has been linked to microcephaly, in which children are born with underdeveloped brains. Consu...Wed, 10 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:26zika,emergency,ebola,mosquito,public health,health,publicnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/zika-declared-public-health-emergency
Gene editing human embryosThis week, a British researcher got the green light to genetically modify human embryos - this is the first time that gene editing has been approved in embryos. However, it hasn't been met with open arms by everyone, with some arguing this is the ...Mon, 08 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:13:46gene editing,CRISPR,researcher,human embryos,development,genetic modification,designer babiesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gene-editing-human-embryos
What beached the sperm whales?Sperm whales are renowned for being the biggest toothed whales of our seas, migrating thousands of miles every year. But this week, photos of cetacean carcasses were splashed across the media.16 of these majestic creatures have beached across the UK,...Wed, 03 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:14:54migration,beached sperm whales,climate change,cetacean,mysterynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-beached-the-sperm-whales
Could conspiracy theories be true?Science is full of conspiracy theories, the moon landings were faked and climate change is a hoax, but how many of them are likely to be true? Felicity Bedford spoke to Dr. David Robert Grimes from Oxford University who has given conspiracy theorists...Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:08conspiracy theory,conspiracy,minion,climate change,cancer cure,vaccination,whistle blowersnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/could-conspiracy-theories-be-true
Behind the scenes at Call the MidwifeCall the Midwife is one of the UK's best loved TV shows, and the new series has just started on the BBC. But as well as its empathetic characters and gripping story-lines, what makes the show special is its attention to detail when it comes to his...Wed, 27 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:54call the midwife,thalidomide,stephen mcgann,BBC,drama,programmenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/behind-the-scenes-at-call-the-midwife
Free radicals - a miracle cure?Hibernating animals put their bodies through huge amounts of stress but seem to remain unharmed. Professor Rob Henning from Groningen University explained to Connie Orbach how mimicking their protective mechanisms might be the key to human health....Mon, 25 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:46oxygen free radicals,stress,organs,diabetes,asthma,hibernating,hydrogen sulphidenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/free-radicals-a-miracle-cure
New Leukemia TherapyLeukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells that normally fight infection. About one person in every 200 will develop the disease, a common form of which is called AML, or acute myeloid leukemia. At the moment it tends to have a relatively poor pro...Mon, 18 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:49leukemia,uk,new,bone marrow transplant,charity,white blood cells,cancerous,acute,transparent,color,international,fight,signals,bone,drive,growth,discovery,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-leukemia-therapy
National Security AlgorithmThe current threat level from terrorism in the UK and many other countries is set to severe, and police and security forces acknowledge that their jobs are being made much harder because today's terrorists have at their disposal a range of communi...Mon, 18 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT00:15:12terrorism,big data,privacy,national security,spyingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/national-security-algorithm
Why Do Dogs Slurp So Sloppily?Dogs drink in a very distinctive way, lapping up water and, more often than not, making a huge mess. But, until now, the exact way they did this has been a mystery. Thankfully, scientists at Virginia Tech wouldn't let sleeping dogs lie and they...Tue, 22 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:12Mammalian,so,docs,Evolution,Zoology,Biology,jung,tech,georgia,transparent,mystery,color,caught,lie,sleeping,physics,physics,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-do-dogs-slurp-so-sloppily
COP21 The Results"195 Nations Set Path to Keep Temperature Rise Well Below 2 Degrees Celsius" were the headlines issuing from Paris in the wake of the Conference of the Parties - or COP21 - meeting. So how will this be achieved, can it be achieved at all, wha...Mon, 21 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:00naked scientists, COP21, Paris, Climate change, sustainable, carbon, carbon neutral, politicsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cop21-the-results
Tim Peake Rockets To SpaceOn Tuesday the UK Space Agency's first official astronaut, Tim Peake embarked on the trip of a lifetime to the International Space Station. The launch was broadcast live on the BBC and watched around the world. Connie Orbach went to join the celeb...Mon, 21 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:16:06peake,rocket,Sensors,tim,space,Computing,to,Astronomy,Disease,Technology,international space station,space station,museum,trip,bbc,launch,international,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/tim-peake-rockets-to-space
Science Breakthrough of the Year 2015What was the most momentous bit of science that you heard about this year? Every December the journal Science asks its editorial staff this question and they eventually crown one discovery their "Breakthrough of the Year". ...Fri, 18 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:18:54fossils,hominid,ebola,vaccine,drugs,yeast,CRISPR,genetics,science,breakthrough,awardnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/science-breakthrough-of-the-year-2015
Plants communicate to trade with fungiA plant protein used to communicate with friendly soil fungi has been identified by Cambridge University scientists....Fri, 18 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:06plant,fungi,mycorrhizal,symbiosis,biofertilisernofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/plants-communicate-to-trade-with-fungi
ARM: 25 years as Britain's biggest tech companyHow an Acorn grew into, amongst other things, an Apple: What began as a business making home microcomputers now turns out the processing brain behind 95% of the world's smartphones. Mike Muller has been at the firm since its inception; he explaine...Tue, 15 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:46microchip,computer,ARM,cambridge,chip,processing,phone,smartphonesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/arm-25-years-as-britains-biggest-tech-company
Can genetics help you stop smoking?Researchers have linked a gene with your ability to stop smoking, but not all of the scientific community is in agreement... ...Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:50smoking,genetics,genetics,help,Neuroscience,you,to,Genetics,Medicine,Body,Biology,recept,community,receptor,ability,linked,brain,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-genetics-help-you-stop-smoking
Why loneliness can killPeople with the best social networks, who sing in choirs; play instruments; go to church and take part in team sports, all live longer and tend to be happier, studies have shown. People who feel lonely, or isolated, on the other hand, fare less well ...Wed, 02 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:14lonely,danger,health,friends,social,ill,nakednofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-loneliness-can-kill
Sex addicts hooked by online pornCompulsive sexual behaviour, more commonly known as sex addiction, is driven by the huge novelty provided by online material, a new study has found....Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:56addicts,Memory,sexual,online,Neuroscience,Psychology,novelty,addiction,behaviour,material,study,found,new,more,is,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sex-addicts-hooked-by-online-porn
Supergenes can determine behaviourThe choices we make are often down to past experience and the circumstances, including picking partners. However, for a bird called the ruff, the way it picks up ladies is determined genetically. Some ruffs are territorial and impress using dramatic ...Fri, 27 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:50Bird,determine,can,Evolution,Zoology,Genetics,past experience,slate,disguise,feathers,mimics,transparent,mates,mates,color,choices,genetically,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/supergenes-can-determine-behaviour
Puberty Timing and HealthCan you remember when your voice broke? According to conventional wisdom most men can't, but women have very strong memories of their first period. This means that studies of puberty timing have struggled to investigate effects in men. However, ...Fri, 13 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:00puberty timing,health,voice breaking,obesity,geneticsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/puberty-timing-and-health
Sounds to make you emotionalMusic can have a huge impact on your emotions. Research published this week in PNAS has shown that if you apply the same sound properties that convey emotion in music and voices to environmental sounds such as a car engine they will also make people ...Fri, 13 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:48sound,emotional,noise,environmental,evolutionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sounds-to-make-you-emotional
How Random are DNA Mutations?Cambridge has a rich history of making discoveries about DNA - the genetic code inside each and every one of us. In the 50s Watson and Crick announced that they had unravelled the structure of DNA - the famous double helix shape. Now, 60 years later,...Wed, 11 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:35DNA, mutations, random, variation, not randomnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-random-are-dna-mutations
Cambridge Graphene Technology DayBack in August we did a show all about the super material graphene. At the molecular level, a sheet of graphene looks a bit like chicken wire and is only a single atomic layer thick, if you were to pile up lots of these single layers you'd get gra...Wed, 11 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:16:39graphene,smart screen,expense,smart poster,graphitene,flexenable,novalianofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cambridge-graphene-technology-day
Can we prevent breast cancer?At the beginning of November, Kat went up to Liverpool for the annual NCRI Cancer Conference, bringing together scientists, doctors, nurses, patients and more from the UK and around the world to talk about the latest progress, ideas and issues in can...Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:28breast cancer, prevention, causes, debate, cancernofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-we-prevent-breast-cancer
New Vaccine For RSVRespiratory syncytial virus or RSV is a virus of the respiratory system that infects people of all ages during the winter causing colds, however in infants and young children it can lead to much more severe illnesses like pneumonia. Despite it's h...Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:02vaccine,respiratory syncytial virus,pneumonianofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-vaccine-for-rsv
How Healthy are E-Cigarettes?E-cigarettes seem to be everywhere nowadays. Invented by a Chinese pharmacist and patented in 2004, they first went on sale in 2010 and are now the most popular way to quit smoking in the UK. But although there's no smoke, there's certainly a...Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:37electronic cigrette,health,smoking,nicotine,tobacconofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-healthy-are-e-cigarettes
Eye drops to treat cataractsCataracts are caused when proteins inside the lens of the eye come together. It's a condition that clouds the vision of approximately one hundred and eighty million people worldwide, with surgery to replace the lens with a plastic one currently th...Sat, 07 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:11Body,cataracts,drops,Senses,drops,treat,eye,to,Medicine,rosalind,davies,lens,blind,surgery,lens,clouds,vision,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/eye-drops-to-treat-cataracts
The problem with childbirthDespite the hundreds of thousands of babies born every day, we still know relatively little about childbirth and how hormones play their key roles in it. A stress hormone, known as cortisol, is involved in inducing labour in animals, but doesn't s...Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:04baby,birth,cortisol,premature,babies,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-problem-with-childbirth
Frost prevented by new materialAs Winter approaches in some parts of the world, so does the colder weather and the threat of ice on the roads and on your car windscreen. But help is at hand from Kansas State University's Alexander van Dyke. As he explains to Charis Lestrange, h...Wed, 28 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:12:38Manufacturing,prevented,Materials Science,new,hydrophilic,hydrophobic,droplets,droplets,freeze,threat,wint,winter,roads,weather,weather,created,approaches,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/frost-prevented-by-new-material
Slippery steel that repels bacteriaSteel is used to manufacture a wide range of products from tiny surgical tools to huge ships. However, it can become corroded or contaminated when liquid comes into contact with it. A new method to coat steel with the compound tungsten oxide has been...Sat, 24 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:28steel, coating, ceramic, lubricant, scalpel, tungsten oxidenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/slippery-steel-that-repels-bacteria
Is personality linked to birth order?There have been many exaggerated reports this week that birth order, whether you are a first or last born, affects how intelligent you will be compared to your siblings. However, the researchers at the University of Leipzig found that this difference...Sat, 24 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:28birth,siblings,personality,brother,sister.nofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/is-personality-linked-to-birth-order
21m for Engineering Grand ChallengesThis week the UK science minister, Jo Johnson, was in Cambridge where he announced an initiative to pump 21 million into seven key research programmes intended to tackle some of the leading scientific and engineering challenges facing the world. The...Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:35engineering,EPSRC,jo johnson,cambridge,grand,challenges,philip nelsonnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/21m-for-engineering-grand-challenges
Getting high from marathon runningYou know when after a run you feel great? Well previously scientists thought this runners' high was down to endorphins, but this may not be the case. Johannes Fuss from the University of Heidelberg found that mice that ran around all day felt less...Thu, 08 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:06running,high,drugs,mice,cannabis,endorphins,cannabinoidnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/getting-high-from-marathon-running
How are our lives are mapped on our brains?The Human Connectome Project has collected data of hundreds of individuals ranging from brain imaging to genetic and lifestyle information. Now researchers from the University of Oxford have used this information to see how much our lifestyle choices...Thu, 08 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:30brains,lifestyle,mapped,positive traits,connectivitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-are-our-lives-are-mapped-on-our-brains
Do people spread disease?Every day millions of people are moving around the world by air, land and sea, but they may be bringing with them more than just their luggage. For example, during last year's ebola outbreak, there were concerns that air travel would spread the di...Thu, 08 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:55disease,spread,people global,travel, infectiousnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/do-people-spread-disease
Extinct animal colours revealedFossils have long been used to help us piece together the size and shape of extinct animals, but the colours of these animals has, until now, been something of a mystery. Now researchers from the University of Bristol have detected the chemical signa...Wed, 07 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:21fossils,extinct animals,mammals,melanin,colours,pattern,bat,ancientnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/extinct-animal-colours-revealed
Concussion and the Rugby World CupThis week, with the Rugby World Cup in full swing, the sports chief medical officer, Martin Raftery has called for changes to be made to the rules in order to cut the number of concussions suffered by players. Concussion occurs when the brain is shak...Tue, 29 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:542015,sports,football,rugby,world,cup,head,injury,concussionsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/concussion-and-the-rugby-world-cup
A cooling layer for solar cellsSolar power is growing in popularity around the world, with huge solar farms springing up all over the place. Obviously, solar panels need as much sunlight as possible, but this also means that they heat up, limiting their efficiency at converting su...Mon, 28 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:34photovolatic,solar,cooling,efficiency,coatingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-cooling-layer-for-solar-cells
Fidgeting could prolong your lifeSitting for long periods of time has long been associated with negative health effects and is thought to slow down your metabolism. However new research suggests that the movements linked with fidgeting could offset these negative effects. Charis Les...Mon, 28 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:22fidgeting,fidgeting,life,long,prolong,sedentary,sittingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/fidgeting-could-prolong-your-life
Extremely Large TelescopeEarmarked for 2024, the European- Extremely Large Telescope will be the biggest telescope in the world. The primary mirror is 39 metres across and capable of collecting as much light at once as all the other telescopes that mankind has ever built put...Sun, 27 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:42space, telescope, large, Europe, Oxfordnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/extremely-large-telescope
3D-printing body partsScientists have announced a revolution in 3D printing. Rather than building things up layer by layer, which is the traditional approach, University of Florida scientist Tommy Angelini prints things inside a gel material using a hollow needle. The g...Fri, 25 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:16:033D printing, organs, medicine, cancer, gelnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/3d-printing-body-parts
A new insight into parasitesYou may never have heard of the disease lymphatic filariasis, but it affects 120 million people in 70 countries around the world, causing dramatic swelling of the limbs and other parts of the body, known as elephantiasis.
It's caused by tiny paras...Thu, 24 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:00naked scientists, virus, elephantitis, parasitenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-new-insight-into-parasites
Paralysed man walks againScientists in America have helped a paralysed man to take his first steps in over 5 years. They've done it by developing a system that eavesdrops on the patient's brainwaves and can detect when he wants to walk.
The computer then activates a...Thu, 24 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:16:04paralysed,paraplegic,spinal cord,brainwaves,walkingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/paralysed-man-walks-again
Good beetle parents die youngerDoes being a good parent shorten your lifespan? It turns out the answer is yes, at least if you're a burying beetle. Results from researchers at The University of Cambridge published this week show that beetles can sacrifice their own fitness for ...Wed, 23 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:40beetle,evolution,parents,adaptation,burying beetlenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/good-beetle-parents-die-younger
Does stress affect elephant fertility?It has been found that endangered Asian elephants age faster and have fewer offspring if their mothers are stressed when they are born. Researchers at the University of Sheffield measured a hormone associated with stress to determine the time of year...Tue, 22 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:53naked scientists,elephant,stress,fertility,hormone,agenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/does-stress-affect-elephant-fertility
Lovey-dovey finchesPeople can spend their lives looking for love. We go on awkward dates and let our friends set us up with complete strangers. All in the hope of finding 'the one'.But what's the point of it all? Why do we bother? If all we're suppose...Thu, 17 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:55offspring,evolution,zebra finches,lovenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/lovey-dovey-finches
Age related diseases associated with 'biological age'Early intervention is likely to be critical for preventing many age-related diseases; but detecting these diseases at a sufficiently early stage to make a difference is often problematic. Now this may be about to change, because scientists in the U...Mon, 14 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:20alzheimer, blood, age, marker, disease, genesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/age-related-diseases-associated-with-biological-age
Dusty farms protect children from allergiesA well known benefit of growing up on a farm is the reduced chance of developing allergies. Evidence shows that children who are exposed to a dusty farm environment from an early age have fewer allergies than those who don't. Now researchers have ...Sat, 05 Sep 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:43farms, dust, dairy, allergies, lungsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dusty-farms-protect-children-from-allergies
Green HighwaysThis month, Cambridge based company Innovia Technology have taken charge of the "Mission Zero Corridor Project". This project aims to make a 12 mile stretch of highway in West Georgia completely sustainable, with no carbon footprint! This wil...Wed, 26 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:15innovia technology,green highway,carbon neutral,sustainablenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/green-highways
Keeping clocks accurateGetting accurate clocks is really important for all kinds of technologies, especially when monitoring the distant heavens. But even if the clock itself is accurate, how do you know that the right time is being transmitted across to other devices, so ...Tue, 25 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:12:27clocks,Technology,perth,science festival,georgia,festival,transmission,western,devices,david,multiple,monitoring,speaking,important,old,university,height,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/keeping-clocks-accurate
Hidden memories explainedIt's long been known that traumatic memories forged in stressful situations can lie buried in the subconscious, yet they can bubble to the surface unexpectedly, triggering strong reactions, flashbacks and more serious psychological problems such a...Mon, 24 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:14traumatic,memory,brain,hidden,subconscious,fear,state,dependentnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/hidden-memories-explained
Dogs evolved with climate change not preyIn the UK we are a nation of dog lovers but how did man's best friend become the speedy, bouncy animal we know today? Well for a long time it has been thought that dogs got faster as their prey did, in a sort of arms race, but new research from Pr...Sun, 23 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:54prey,dogs,climate change,dog,climate,evolved,change,Mammalian,Climate Change,Evolution,Zoology,race,new research,arms,brown,arms,friend,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dogs-evolved-with-climate-change-not-prey
Premature birth affects personalityNew research has shown that babies born severely prematurely or underweight are likely to suffer in adulthood with a socially withdrawn personality. Amy Goodfellow met with Professor Dieter Wolke from the University of Warwick to find out more......Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:33:00 GMT00:14:34birth,affects,Neuroscience,Psychology,babies,babies,diet,likely,research,university,why,find,out,is,to,of,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/premature-birth-affects-personality
Premature birth affects personalityNew research has shown that babies born severely prematurely or underweight are likely to suffer in adulthood with a socially withdrawn personality. Amy Goodfellow met with Professor Dieter Wolke from the University of Warwick to find out more......Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:33:00 GMT00:14:34birth,affects,Neuroscience,Psychology,babies,babies,diet,likely,research,university,why,find,out,is,to,of,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/premature-birth-affects-personality
GCSE success: it's in your genesScientists at King's College London have discovered that genetics makes an unexpectedly large contribution to children's GCSE grades across a wide range of subjects. Kat Arney met with Professor Robert Plomin to find out more. ...Tue, 04 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:21genes,gcse,heritability,grades,intelligence,DNAnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gcse-success-its-in-your-genes
GCSE success: it's in your genesScientists at King's College London have discovered that genetics makes an unexpectedly large contribution to children's GCSE grades across a wide range of subjects. Kat Arney met with Professor Robert Plomin to find out more. ...Tue, 04 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:21genes,gcse,heritability,grades,intelligence,DNAnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gcse-success-its-in-your-genes
A pill on a string!About 8000 people in the UK develop a cancer in their oesophagus - the tube that connects the back of the throat to the stomach - every year. The majority of these people have detectable changes in the cells lining the oesophagus for many years befor...Mon, 03 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:16:16pill,string,oesophagus,throat,cancer,detectingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-pill-on-a-string
A pill on a string!About 8000 people in the UK develop a cancer in their oesophagus - the tube that connects the back of the throat to the stomach - every year. The majority of these people have detectable changes in the cells lining the oesophagus for many years befor...Mon, 03 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:16:16pill,string,oesophagus,throat,cancer,detectingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-pill-on-a-string
Can de-worming really improve school attendance?A decade ago a landmark study was published showing that treating Kenyan children for worm infections could increase their attendance at school, as well as bringing health benefits. Since then, many development agencies across Africa have taken the i...Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:13de-worming,attendance,Parasites,worming,school,really,Medicine,Body,hygiene,tropical,boost,benefits,cheap,medicine,africa,children,london,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-de-worming-really-improve-school-attendance
Can de-worming really improve school attendance?A decade ago a landmark study was published showing that treating Kenyan children for worm infections could increase their attendance at school, as well as bringing health benefits. Since then, many development agencies across Africa have taken the i...Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:13de-worming,attendance,Parasites,worming,school,really,Medicine,Body,hygiene,tropical,boost,benefits,cheap,medicine,africa,children,london,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-de-worming-really-improve-school-attendance
Music tastes linked with brain typeHow does the way you think influence the music you choose to listen to? Scientists at Cambridge University have developed a test that marries up a person's personality traits including how empathic they are, and how systematically they think, with...Fri, 31 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:40music,brain type,preferences,tastes,predictnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/music-tastes-linked-with-brain-type
Music tastes linked with brain typeHow does the way you think influence the music you choose to listen to? Scientists at Cambridge University have developed a test that marries up a person's personality traits including how empathic they are, and how systematically they think, with...Fri, 31 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:40music,brain type,preferences,tastes,predictnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/music-tastes-linked-with-brain-type
Sugary drinks increase diabetes risk by 20%Fizzy drinks are often very high in sugar, and doctors suspect that they're likely to be linked to the growing rates of obesity in many countries. Now, by bringing together data from all of the previously published studies in the world, public hea...Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:46fizzy,drinks,bad,good,sugar,diabetes,health,yournofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sugary-drinks-increase-diabetes-risk-by-20
Rocket-powered PuntingPunting is one of the most typically 'Cambridge' of activities, with hundreds of tourists being punted lazily along the river Cam at any one point during summer. Now, though, the Cambridge Science Centre has decided to liven things up a littl...Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:22Fuels,Transport,Technology,cambridge science centre,river,river,jam,summer,local,london,running,read,you,float,height,first,most,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/rocket-powered-punting
Sugary drinks increase diabetes risk by 20%Fizzy drinks are often very high in sugar, and doctors suspect that they're likely to be linked to the growing rates of obesity in many countries. Now, by bringing together data from all of the previously published studies in the world, public hea...Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:46fizzy,drinks,bad,good,sugar,diabetes,health,yournofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sugary-drinks-increase-diabetes-risk-by-20
Rocket-powered PuntingPunting is one of the most typically 'Cambridge' of activities, with hundreds of tourists being punted lazily along the river Cam at any one point during summer. Now, though, the Cambridge Science Centre has decided to liven things up a littl...Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:22Fuels,Transport,Technology,cambridge science centre,river,river,jam,summer,local,london,running,read,you,float,height,first,most,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/rocket-powered-punting
Growing Human HeartsGrowing a human heart from a single cell may seem like science fiction, but scientists at the Gladstone Institute at the University of California San Francisco, have taken a huge step forward, by producing the first three-dimensional, beating, human ...Thu, 23 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:29grow,human,heart,stem,cell,chamber,beating,cardiacnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/growing-human-hearts
Growing Human HeartsGrowing a human heart from a single cell may seem like science fiction, but scientists at the Gladstone Institute at the University of California San Francisco, have taken a huge step forward, by producing the first three-dimensional, beating, human ...Thu, 23 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:29grow,human,heart,stem,cell,chamber,beating,cardiacnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/growing-human-hearts
Volcanoes may have ended the Roman EmpireVolcanic eruptions can be both beautiful and destructive at the same time, but now scientists have found evidence they may have also been linked to plagues, and even the fall of the Roman Empire. When a volcano erupts, chemicals are released into th...Thu, 16 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:32volcanoes,eruptions,climate,change,roman,empire,plagues,dating,ice,cores,tree,ringsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/volcanoes-may-have-ended-the-roman-empire
Benefitting medically from marijuanaMarijuana has a reputation for helping people who are in pain. But achieving the analgesic effect comes at a cost: users of the drug complain of memory loss and mood disturbances. Now, by identifying the pathway in the brain that is responsible for ...Tue, 14 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:12medically,marijuana,benefits,health,weed,cannabisnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/benefitting-medically-from-marijuana
Why do our brains age?One of the key factors that makes the brain age has been uncovered by scientists in the US. Young mice infused with the blood of older animals developed a drop in their cognitive abilities. This is down to a chemical made by the immune system called ...Mon, 13 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:15factors,brains,ageing,alzheimers,memory,naked scientists,causenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-do-our-brains-age
Climate change is bad news for beesIt's hard to miss the fact that bees are in trouble, with worrying news of colony collapse disorder devastating bee numbers, and concerns about the effects of pesticides on our most important pollinators. Now there's something else for our bu...Mon, 13 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:10climate,change,bees,bumblebees,effects,affectnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/climate-change-is-bad-news-for-bees
RoboCabs: the key to curbing emissions?How does being driven around in a robotic taxi grab you? Currently, cars contribute 13% to our greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, a new study has found that were we to switch to using a fleet of electrified, autonomous taxis - dubbed "ro...Sun, 12 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:10robocabs,driving,future,transport,self,taxinofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/robocabs-the-key-to-curbing-emissions
Predicting depression and anxietyMore than a quarter of people are affected by anxiety or depression each year. But are some people more at risk than others? By studying groups of rhesus monkeys, Dr Ned Kalin from the University of Wisconsin in Madison found that individuals display...Sun, 12 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:54naked scientists,anxious temperament,amy goodfellow,ned
kalin,depression,anxiety,genetics,heritabilitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/predicting-depression-and-anxiety
Men and women may feel pain differentlyIt's an age-old debate, who feels more pain, men or women? Scientists at McGill University have taken us one step closer to answering this question with a study using mice. Jeff Mogil and his team have discovered that the biological pathway that c...Fri, 03 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:36male,female,gender,sex,pain,divide,differently,biological,pathway,painkillers,drugnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/men-and-women-may-feel-pain-differently
What do fish and aircraft have in common?What do fish and aircraft have in common? Well, water and air are both fluids. And when fish move their tails and bodies from side to side, they push against the surrounding water and leave behind a mini whirlpool or vortex, which contains informatio...Thu, 02 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:12:34fish,swim,aircraft,common,vortex,drag,resistancenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-do-fish-and-aircraft-have-in-common
Just give me a second...Rejoice because at midnight tonight, a second will be added to clocks across the world. Seeing as you now have all of this extra time, here's Naked Scientist Tom Crawford with everything you need to know about the leap second......Mon, 29 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:10:59leap,second,time,atomic,clocks,earth,orbitnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/just-give-me-a-second
PPI's Increase Heart Attack RiskOne of the world's most widely-used classes of drugs could significantly increase your risk of suffering a heart attack; that's according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, in California and published in PloS One this week....Mon, 22 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:35ppi,proton,pump,inhibitors,heart,attack,disease,stroke,risk,increase,dangerous,health,heartburnnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ppis-increase-heart-attack-risk
Hawkmoths Shadowy Existence UncoveredHawkmoths live a shadowy existence; they stick their tongues down the flowers' neck, all the while being tossed about in the wind. And as if that wasn't enough, they do it all in the pitch black. With tiny brains and even tinier eyes - they s...Sun, 21 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:41hawkmoth,flight,robot,drone,small,hover,eat,move,flowers,wind,dark,seemnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/hawkmoths-shadowy-existence-uncovered
75 million year-old Dinosaur Cells foundWhile Jurassic World may be wowing the crowds at the cinema, a new study from researchers at Imperial College has been making waves in the world of real-life dinosaurs. Although scientists have previously found evidence for soft tissues, such as bloo...Sun, 21 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:08dinosaurs,blood,cells,protein,fibres,75,million,year,old,fossilsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/75-million-year-old-dinosaur-cells-found
Self-unrolling Brain ImplantScientists in the US have developed a new brain implant that can be used to record information from nerve cells, and also to transmit signals into the nervous system, to stimulate parts of the brain. Unlike existing electrode devices, which can trigg...Sun, 21 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:57brain,implant,mesh,self-unrolling,signals,nerve,stimulatenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/self-unrolling-brain-implant
Exploring Saturn's Newest RingSaturn is one of the most well-known planets in the solar system, perhaps owing to its distinctive set of rings. The largest of these rings, the H-ring, was only discovered as recently as 2009 and cannot be seen from Earth. Now, using images taken by...Sun, 14 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:52saturn,h-ring,phoebe,formation,structure,wise spacecraftnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/exploring-saturns-newest-ring
Coffee staves off depressionCoffee is an essential part of life for many of us, but could it help to cut depression? ...Thu, 11 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:17:16cup,caffeine,link,team,coffee,depressionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/coffee-staves-off-depression
Ending Earthquakes With WaterEarthquakes occur at faults, or fractures, in the Earth's crust - where two big slabs of rock meet. Movement under the surface tries to push the rocks past each other but the rough edges get stuck together until enough stress builds up to jerk the...Thu, 11 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:46earthquake,seismic slip,fluid injection,fault linesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ending-earthquakes-with-water
Sequencing SchizophreniaThe specific genes that cause schizophrenic symptoms have been found by researchers at Cardiff University. A huge study of the DNA of over 10,000 schizophrenics and 15,000 controls helped identified the genes involved, and determine that they are in ...Thu, 04 Jun 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:16Neuroscience,Medicine,Biology,michael owen,owen,illness,chris smith,determine,impact,genes,genes,dna,controls,genes,chri,study,understanding,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sequencing-schizophrenia
Selective HearingHow our ears screen out sounds so that we can listen selectively only to those sounds we want to hear - like a friend's voice across a noisy room for instance - has been revealed by scientists in Australia. Gary Housley, from the University of New...Sun, 17 May 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:04selective hearing,cochlea,human communication,sound recognition,listeningnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/selective-hearing
Baboon BuddiesHumans, like all other primates, are a sociable bunch and we tend to pick friends who are fairly similar to us in terms of education, religion, personality and so on. Now researchers studying a troop of wild Chacma baboons living in Namibia have disc...Sun, 17 May 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:16:22chacma baboons,social structure,homophily,wild primate,animal communicationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/baboon-buddies
A Study in ScarletDressing in red around the office might have your colleagues seeing you in a different light! A new study from Durham University's Robert Barton has found that when the same person is shown wearing a red-coloured top, rather than a blue one, they ...Sun, 17 May 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:07wearing red,perception,power dressing,aggression,colour associationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-study-in-scarlet
Winter Immune BluesThe incidence of many diseases, including heart attacks and multiple sclerosis, peaks in winter time. Now it looks like this could be an unfortunate throw-back to our prehistoric origins. Cambridge University scientist John Todd has found that the im...Sun, 17 May 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:40winter blues,immune response,inflammation,seasonal,gene expression,annualnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/winter-immune-blues
Choose Your Treatment WiselyA campaign to combat "over-treatment" of patients has been announced by doctors' leaders this week. Called "Choosing Wisely", the initiative promotes more open conversations between doctors and patients, rather than an obsessiv...Sun, 17 May 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:06over treatment,nhs,medicine,choosing wiselynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/choose-your-treatment-wisely
Cells Turn Inside-OutPlants and animals are incredible constructions, built from the fundamental building blocks of cells. But how are we made? By modelling how algae cells literally turn themselves inside out, researchers are hoping to understand how our own bodies are ...Thu, 14 May 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:09cells,inside,cells,out,Plants,Body,Biology,constructions,modelling,university of cambridge,bodies,physical,building,blocks,cambridge,building,animals,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cells-turn-inside-out
Facebook leads to biased viewsContent curation and news filtering by Facebook, as well as other social media websites, likely leads to ideological biases in the information individuals see and read, a new study has shown....Thu, 14 May 2015 14:59:00 GMT00:15:18facebook,social media,news,filtering, information, naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/facebook-leads-to-biased-views
Males donate competitivelyIf you are thinking of raising money for charity, what's the best way to ensure you hit your fundraising target? According to Nichola Raihani from UCL, you need to be an attractive woman so men will compete with each other to donate the most to yo...Thu, 23 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:48competitively,giving,raising,money,charity,fundraisersnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/males-donate-competitively
Modern lifestyles reduce gut bug diversityYou are not alone! Your body is home to a whole host of bacteria that live in and on you: your microbiome. You might be slightly repulsed by this idea, but these tiny organisms are really important for our health. There is now growing evidence that ...Tue, 21 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:17lifestyles,gut bug,lifestyles,gut,bug,Bacteria,Medicine,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/modern-lifestyles-reduce-gut-bug-diversity
GM Salmonella shrinks cancersSalmonella bacteria can be modified to make a safe anti-cancer treatment, scientists have shown....Mon, 20 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:58Naked Scientists, Cancer, Salmonella, Genetic engineeringnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gm-salmonella-shrinks-cancers
How do we hear time within sounds?While you listen to a noise, nerve cells in your brain are busy processing sound information and helping you make sense it. One big mystery in the world of hearing research has been how we perceive repeated sounds that hit our ears slowly - like the ...Mon, 20 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:15:35interpret,long,length,hear,sounds,time,noise,brainnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-do-we-hear-time-within-sounds
Dark matter may not be completely 'dark'Druham Universtiy's Richard Massey takes Chris Smith to a galaxy far, far away; or, more accurately, several galaxies over, which also happen to have just collided with each other, providing in the process new insights into one of the Universe...Sun, 19 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:54universe,made,of,space,dark,matter,galaxy,collision,detectionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/dark-matter-may-not-be-completely-dark
How the Moon was MadeHow the Earth came by its Moon has always been something of a mystery: Scientists had theorised that a Mars-sized planet, called Theia, crashed into Earth and that the moon formed from the debris. But, analysis of the rock chemistry from the lunar s...Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:50moon,origin,made,cheese,come,theia,impact,hypothesi,theorynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-the-moon-was-made
Evidence of dinosaur cannibalismEvidence has been revealed that a type of dinosaur fell victim to occasional cannibalism. Daspletosaurus was a member of the tyrannosaurs group, and relative of the famous T. rex. A skull was found to have scratches matching the teeth of a predator a...Sun, 12 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:14:31dinosaur,cannibalism,daspletosauru,tyrannosaurs,rex,jurassic,parknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/evidence-of-dinosaur-cannibalism
Yeast: Rising from the breadA favourite Easter tradition are hot cross buns, but there's one particular ingredient which no bread can do without: yeast. What is about this strange powdery ingredient that makes it so useful? Philip Garsed took some freshly baked hot cross bun...Wed, 01 Apr 2015 23:00:00 GMT00:13:20east,hot cross buns,baked,yeast,biology,kitchen,geneticnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/yeast-rising-from-the-bread
Listening to the bat highway codeIf you've ever seen huge flocks of birds or a shoal of fish, you might have wondered how they are all able to move together without ever colliding. Now scientists at the University of Bristol believe they have been able to explain how flocks of ba...Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:08highway,Robotics,Sensors,to,Zoology,Biology,shoal,bats,traffic,rules,rules,birds,birds,avoid,fish,ever,move,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/listening-to-the-bat-highway-code
When humans made their mark on the worldGeologists like to divide up history into epochs, or eras, separated by events that leave an indelible mark in the geological record of the earth - for example, the meteorite strike that finished off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, whose impact i...Sun, 15 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:30mark,humans,made,when,Climate
Change,Earth,Biology,anthropocene,epochs,irreversible,geological,meteorite,D
INOSAURS,strike,divide,dinosaurs,rocks,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/when-humans-made-their-mark-on-the-world
How light can transmit WiFiAnyone who has struggled with a lousy WiFi connection in a busy public space knows only too well that there are limits to how much data can be beamed over the airwaves like this. Now scientists have come up with a new technology that uses the room li...Sun, 15 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:54light,wifi,technology,light,signal, computer, internetnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-light-can-transmit-wifi
Adapting to ArsenicIn a remote area in the Andes mountain there exist perilously high levels of arsenic: one of the most toxic substances known to man. But people have been living there for thousands of years, and it has now been discovered that this population has ad...Mon, 09 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:30nak,scientist,arsenic,adapted,and,human,evolutionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/adapting-to-arsenic
Sophie the StegosaurusDr Kat Arney meets Sophie the Stegosaurus, and Natural History Museum researcher Charlotte Brassey....Sat, 07 Mar 2015 10:23:13 GMT00:26:28naked scientists, dinosaur, fossil, history, bones, skeletonnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sophie-the-stegosaurus
What can we learn from NASA's Dawn probe?After a seven and a half year journey, and with a price tag just shy of half a billion Dollars, NASA's Dawn spacecraft finally has the asteroid Ceres in its sights. Ceres is a massive asteroid which sits among a clutch of much smaller boulders, pe...Fri, 06 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:20cer,nasa,spacecraft,mission,dawn,probe,asteroidnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-can-we-learn-from-nasas-dawn-probe
FameLab: the snapping shrimpFameLab is a competition where scientists battle it out to be the best at giving engaging short talks on their favourite areas of research. Six Cambridge-based finalists have been chosen by a panel of judges and we're hearing from a selection of t...Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:00famelab,snapping,shrimp,cambridge,competition,finalistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/famelab-the-snapping-shrimp
Holes give diamonds their colourUsing a new super powerful electron microscope, scientists have discovered tiny holes are responsible for giving brown diamonds their colour. ...Sun, 22 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:47diamonds,brown diamonds,superstem,electron microscope,crystal,clearnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/holes-give-diamonds-their-colour
Space WormsWorms are about to help scientists to boldly go where no researcher has been before, by venturing into space to help us to understand how changes in gravity might affect our DNA. Although scientists don't think that the physical genetic letters of...Sun, 15 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:42space,worm,c. elegan,epigenetic,microgravitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/space-worms
Detecting dark matterIt makes up most of the stuff in our universe, but we can't see it or weigh it - but we know it has to be there. This elusive substance is dark matter, and according to a new paper in the journal Nature Physics this week, it's all around us i...Fri, 13 Feb 2015 21:58:21 GMT00:27:42tin,dark matter,dark,detect,matter,matter,in,Physics,UCL,milky
way,milky,map,weigh,galaxy,substance,round,speak,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/detecting-dark-matter
Positive thinking improves your healthHas anyone ever told you to lose a few pounds? Get a bit more active? Work harder in school? We can sometimes become a bit defensive when given this type of advice even if we know it's probably the right thing to do. Now scientists have revealed h...Sat, 07 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:15:37health,self-affirmation,happy,valu,positive,falknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/positive-thinking-improves-your-health
Differences between male and female brainsYour brain is more complex and powerful than the world's biggest supercomputer, built while you're a baby growing in the womb from the recipes encoded in your genes. But how do your growing brain cells know which genes to use? The answer come...Fri, 06 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:07brains,epigenetic,male,female,spier,men,womennofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/differences-between-male-and-female-brains
From venom to medicineA novel approach to detecting interactions between scorpion venom and its target molecule could aid in the discovery of new drugs for treatment of a wide range of nerve disorders....Fri, 06 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:10scorpion,venom,neurotoxin,sodium channel,epilepsy,drug discoverynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/from-venom-to-medicine
Mitochondrial Diseases: 3 Parent EmbryosWhat are so-called "3 parent embryos", and what are the arguments for allowing it? Hannah Critchlow discussed the issues with MP Julian Huppert, who supported the recent motion to permit the process in the House of Commons......Wed, 04 Feb 2015 12:36:00 GMT00:19:10naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mitochondrial-diseases-3-parent-embryos
How close are we to the next mass extinction?Around 250 million years ago our world was a very different place. Rather than the different continents we know today, there was only one giant land mass - Pangea - covered with plants and animals. But then something went horribly wrong. Over a few m...Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:19pangaea,mass,extinction,next,animals,lifenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-close-are-we-to-the-next-mass-extinction
Chicks can count too!Humans do it. Primates do it. And now it's been found out that birds can also do it - 3 day old chickens have been shown to order numbers low to high, from left to right - just like on a ruler! The findings, published in Science, could indicate th...Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:16:00chickens,count,left,to right,numbers,animal,birdsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/chicks-can-count-too
Nano-Scale Quill PenQuill pens might be about to make a comeback - but not in a stationers! Because researchers have developed a nano-scale ink pen that can be used to control the shapes of polymers that can be used to make superfast computers. Polymers are are giant ch...Tue, 27 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:46quill,pens,polymers,nano,nanotech,nanotechnologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/nano-scale-quill-pen
Super-slippery, water repellent surfacesA new breed of super metals, that are extremely water repellent have been created. Their potential applications range from rust and frost free aircraft to self-cleaning toilets. Danielle Blackwell spoke to Prof. Chunlei Guo from the University of Roc...Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:36super metals, waterproof, water repellent, guo, hydrophobic, self-cleaningnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/super-slippery-water-repellent-surfaces
Sea turtle sat navSea turtles follow unique magnetic signatures to return to their home beaches to lay their eggs....Sat, 17 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:13:55sea turtle,navigate,magnetic field,beaches,geomagnetism,sat nav,oceannofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sea-turtle-sat-nav
Crashing CarsOver 3000 people are killed on the world's roads every day with further 20-50 million people left injured or disabled. And whilst the number of serious injuries have come down - one type of injury -damage to the spinal cord - has remained stubborn...Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:21:24crash,car,safety,volvo,spinal,cord,accident,trafficnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/crashing-cars
Geese fly over the Himalayas like a roller coasterBar-headed geese reach altitudes of several thousand meters in their annual migration across the world's highest mountain range. A new study shows that they have a peculiar way to save energy on this long journey, as Khalil Thirlaway finds out fro...Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:53himalaya,migration,bar,headed,goose,fitnes,trainnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/geese-fly-over-the-himalayas-like-a-roller-coaster
Can cycling keep you younger?A common New year's resolution is to hit the gym and get fit. But while most people might give up and return to the comfort of the sofa by February, research suggests that being physically active for your whole life has big health benefits. But ca...Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:17:28naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-cycling-keep-you-younger
Could a brain scan predict your future?Could a brain scan predict your weight, your school grades and your happiness levels two years down the line?...Mon, 12 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT00:14:46brain,scan,predict,future,MRI,biomark,weight,happiness educationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/could-a-brain-scan-predict-your-future
Cartoons are deadly (for lead roles)Whether it's an outing to the cinema or gathered in the living room, films are a great way to spend time as a family at Christmas. If children are involved, the choice of title will often be made with them in mind. Reservoir Dogs might be shelved ...Wed, 24 Dec 2014 13:33:57 GMT00:14:49naked scientists, cartoons, james kirkbride, khalil thirlaway, deathnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cartoons-are-deadly-for-lead-roles
Has Curiosity found life on Mars?Last week scientists attending the American Geophysical Union meeting in California unveiled measurements made on Mars by the Curisoity rover, which has been exploring the red planet for the last 2 years. What Curiosity has uncovered are organic mole...Sat, 20 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:16:19naked scientists, david rothery, chris smith, mars, curiosity rover, methane, chlorobenzene, life on marsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/has-curiosity-found-life-on-mars
Feeling old shortens your lifePeople often talk about feeling their age, but how old you say you feel is strongly linked to your life expectancy. A new study at UCL in London has shown that people who feel their age, or feel even older than their real chronological are almost 40%...Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:17:11naked scientists, age, mortality, death, lifespan, Andrew Steptoe, Chris Smithnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/feeling-old-shortens-your-life
Machine makes people more empathicThere's the old saying that if you want to understand someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. But what if you could walk in their actual body? Thanks to virtual reality headsets, this is now - at least virtually - possible. And by fooling ...Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:15:29naked scientists, empathy, simulation, virtual reality, prejudice, Kat Arney, Mel Slaternofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/machine-makes-people-more-empathic
Foraging for FossilsHow do we know about the ancient animals that used to roam the Earth? If all life got its start in the sea, then why do most animals now live on land?
Sara Sjosten went behind the scenes at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Science with Sarah Finney to...Mon, 15 Dec 2014 19:37:51 GMT00:15:04ancient,fossils,museum,sedgwick,paleontology,palaeontology,conservat,hunt,
greenland,svalbardnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/foraging-for-fossils
reCAPTCHA with Luis von AhnLuis von Ahn invented CAPTCHA - the system that uses a picture of a word to determine whether you are a human or a computer. But when von Ahn realised just how much time was being wasted by filling in CAPTCHAs, he wondered whether that man-power coul...Sun, 30 Nov 2014 18:13:32 GMT00:16:08books,captcha,duolingo,recaptcha,luis von ahn,digitisation,free,public,common
goodnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/recaptcha-with-luis-von-ahn
The science behind fastingWhat's the science behind the so-called 5:2 or intermittent fasting diet? ...Thu, 27 Nov 2014 21:00:31 GMT00:28:20behind,science,behind,in,Food,Body,5:2,dieting,fad,ageing,pna,review,calories
,calories,calories,media,horizon,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-science-behind-fasting
Does your dog understand you?Does your dog pay attention to what you say? Thinking back to the last time it rolled in something stinky, or ran off with your socks, you may not be convinced. But new research from the University of Sussex shows that man's best friend is at leas...Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:14:45dog,listening,understand,speech,human,bound,sarahnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/does-your-dog-understand-you
The fight against EbolaMarie Blackman Northwood is a biomedical scientists normally based in Cambridge,who is currently in Sierra Leone, lending her hand to the fight against Ebola. She spoke to Chris Smith about her experiences. ...Mon, 17 Nov 2014 14:12:49 GMT00:17:03ebola,sierra leone,cent,treatment,hospital,disease,africanofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-fight-against-ebola
Body ClocksAre you a morning person or a night owl? Whichever you are, your daily rhythm is determined by your circadian clock - powered by a small group of cells in the brain - and it tells you when to get up and when to sleep. Now Professor Bill Wisden and hi...Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:57:37 GMT00:14:02sleep,wake,circadian rhythm,body clock,circadian,circadian
clock,body,clock,histamine,brainnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/body-clocks
Shift Work Shafts BrainsResearchers say that doing anti-social shifts over many years can dent your brain power. In other words you can't think straight. The team collected data from three thousand workers in France, who underwent memory and other tests of brain function...Fri, 14 Nov 2014 11:41:36 GMT00:14:18shift work,cognition,late night,night,time,brain,brain power,workersnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/shift-work-shafts-brains
How wildcats became kitty catsJust a handful of genetic changes are what turned wildcats into domestic pets, scientists have now shown. And many of these changes are linked with genes that affect how the brain processes rewards and pleasure. In other words, humans won over cats b...Fri, 14 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:15:47cats,domesticated,genetic,how,difference,wildcats,wildcatsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-wildcats-became-kitty-cats
Religion and natureReligion and nature might have more to do with each other than you thought. In the biggest study of its kind, a team of evolutionary biologists, anthropologists, linguists and religious scholars examined the religions of societies from around the wor...Thu, 13 Nov 2014 23:02:00 GMT00:14:41religions,gods,high gods,moralising,morality,evolutionary,evolutionary biology,bird,humans,culture,anthropology,study,data,database,dataset,model,predict,survey,ethnography,societynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/religion-and-nature
Women in ScienceTim Bussey, professor, budding rock star and performer explains to Hannah Critchlow how he's addressing scientific gender inequality with a re-release from the 80s......Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:16:00 GMT00:13:14science,women,equality,gender,music,rock,single,bussey,tim,recordnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/women-in-science
Healthy-Looking LeadersWould you prefer your prime minister, president, or beloved leader to look healthy, intelligent, or both? Researchers from the VU University of Amsterdam say that given the choice, people prioritise healthy-looking candidates over intelligent ones....Mon, 10 Nov 2014 15:01:43 GMT00:12:22fac,leader,politician,CEO,healthy,intelligent,leadership,public,choose,bestnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/healthy-looking-leaders
Imaging the GenomeThe quest to understand the fundamental rules governing life has taken another step forward, as new research from the University of Cambridge reveals. ...Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:55:28 GMT00:14:28cell,genome,DNA,microscope,yeast,microscopy,microtubulnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/imaging-the-genome
Foreign species invading the UKAs international trade increases, particularly by sea, we're seeing more stowaways; but not of the human variety. Scientists are reporting that animals and plants are hitching rides around the world on boats - and even on fishing tackle. They then...Mon, 20 Oct 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:45quagga,mussel,quagga mussel,killer shrimp,invasive species,britain,UKnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/foreign-species-invading-the-uk
Detection dogsWhilst Magic - a young golden retriever - may love chasing a stick, curling up on a rug and enjoying a biscuit as much as the next dog, he is certainly no ordinary dog. Trained by Milton Keynes based organisation Medical Detection Dogs, he can sniff ...Tue, 14 Oct 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:33dogs,detection,medical,labrad,spaniel,diabetes,hypo,canc,train,reward,man,poochnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/detection-dogs
How plastic pollution may harm marine lifeThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Tamara Galloway, Matt Cole and Ceri Lewis of the University of Exeter talk about their research on the effects of fragments of plastics from food packaging, drinks bottles and even facial scrubs on marine wildl...Mon, 06 Oct 2014 13:26:03 GMT00:20:16naked scientists, plastics, food packaging, pollution, drinks bottlesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-plastic-pollution-may-harm-marine-life
The smartest part of our brainWhich part of our brain helped us become the social and (for the most part) intelligent creatures we are today?...Mon, 29 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:53brain,monkey,ape,cerebellum,cortex,intelligence,evolution,communication,speech,tool usenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-smartest-part-of-our-brain
The price of alcoholThousands die due to alcohol consumption each year, did raising the price of alcohol in the UK reduce these costs? ...Mon, 29 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:13:53alcohol,cost,price,sal,minimum,unit,vodka,cheap,booze,ris,lag,cid,been,winenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-price-of-alcohol
Your nose knows death is imminentUntil recently when technology took over, a coal miner's best friend was a caged canary that would warn of a build-up of life-threatening gases. Now US scientists are saying that the sense of smell is the coalmine canary of human health, with peop...Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:45:00 GMT00:16:19old,sense,sense,dying,nose,smell,odour,death,predictnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/your-nose-knows-death-is-imminent
Common cold and asthmaDuring an asthma attack, inflammation in the airways leads to breathlessness, and severe cases can end up with sufferers being hospitalised or even dying.
One culprit that can make asthma worse is the virus that causes the common cold, known as rh...Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:35winter, sneeze, asthma, cold, disease, rhinovirus, breathing, respiratory, death, Imperial,
inflammation, airwaysnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/common-cold-and-asthma
How dinosaur arms turned into bird wingsYou can forget Jurassic Park because actually dinosaurs are all around us! And I'm not joking because the fact is that when you see a chirping bird, you're actually looking at a modern dinosaur. Evidence has been growing for some time that ou...Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:12:53dinosaur,bird,evolution,evolve,wrists,wings,connection,linknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-dinosaur-arms-turned-into-bird-wings
New solar cellsHydrogen is regarded as an excellent candidate future fuel on the grounds that it is relatively easy to store and it burns cleanly to produce only heat and water. But present methods of production involve fossil fuels and are energy intensive, offset...Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:34naked scientists, hydrogen, solar cells, panels, perovskite, energy, electricity, water, oxygen, fossil fuels, renewable, fuelnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/new-solar-cells
Do baby fish speak?We've all heard that whales and dolphins have a highly developed way of making sounds to communicate with each. However when it come to ordinary fish you'd have thought they're pretty silent things. But you'd be wrong. Marine biolog...Sat, 27 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:13:40fish,communicate,speak,school,sea,marine biologist,erica staaterman,university of miaminofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/do-baby-fish-speak
Best place for cardiac arrestA cardiac arrest is when a person's heart stops beating and they collapse. It affects 30,000 people every year in the UK.
The majority of these occur outside the hospital setting and they're frequently fatal. But how should they be managed - ...Thu, 25 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:16Cardiac arrest, medicine, paramedics, hospital, heart attack, ambulance, Bruce Adams, Jonathan
Bengernofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/best-place-for-cardiac-arrest
Strategic decision making revealedAre you a strategic decision maker? Is your brain anterior cingulate cortex switched off or on? Are random decisions being made or are you basing them entirely on past experience?
Alla Karpova discusses decision-making......Wed, 24 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:07naked scientist,strategic decision maker,brain,anterior cingulate cortex,ACC,random decisions,past experience,rat,strategy,randomnesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/strategic-decision-making-revealed
Worrying world populationWorld leaders had been planning for a world population of about 9 billion by 2050. But now a new analysis, based on fresh data and more advanced statistical methods, suggests that this estimate might be wildly inaccurate and that the real figure migh...Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:12earth,population,estimate,people,numb,grow,rapid increase,food crisi,space,policy,children,fertilitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/worrying-world-population
Ant-sized radiosWireless connections are everywhere now. Perhaps you're listening to us through your smartphone or laptop, or maybe you have one of those new-fangled smart fridges connected to the internet.Technologists now talk about the internet of things&q...Tue, 16 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:13:44naked scientists, ant, ant-sized, radio, miniature, communications, silicon chip, device, technologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ant-sized-radios
Modifying mice memoriesScientists have been able to alter the emotional associations of memories mice by using a technique called optogenetics, which involves shining lights inside the brain. Roger Redondo explained to Georgia Mills how they reversed emotions at the brain ...Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:07:00 GMT00:13:41mice,memories,brain,optic,positive,negative,PTSDnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/modifying-mice-memories
Sex and back painThe karma-sutra for back pain may soon be arriving. Within the UK and abroad, there are striking percentages of men and women that report experiencing back pain, especially in later life, and this may be causing the bedroom to take a backseat for the...Sat, 13 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:21naked scientist,back pain,backpain,sex,initimacy,relationship,couples,kama sutranofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sex-and-back-pain
Mental health support onlineSomething bothering you? Don't want to visit a doctor to talk about your problems? An online tool called 'myGRiST' due to be released early next year to the public, aims to assess your risks and help to identify areas where you could imp...Wed, 10 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:41mental health,mental problem,suicide,depression,anxiety,online help,support network,advice,doctornofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mental-health-support-online
EPSRC's Rising StarsFrom 'plastic' solar panels to flexible electronics, and quantum mechanics to regenerative medicine, we found out about the exciting research of the nominated rising star scientists at the British Science Festival......Tue, 09 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:26regenerative medicine, solar panels, flexible electronics, EPSRC, rising stars, quantum mechanicsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/epsrcs-rising-stars
Parkinson's 'pocket-doctor'A 'pocket-doctor' smartphone app may now help to diagnose Parkinson's, a degenerative motor disease, that was previously very difficult to assess. With symptoms such as voice tremors and walking abnormalities, how does the phone applicat...Mon, 08 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:58parkinson,disease,smartphone,application,online,medication,online doct,degenerative diseasenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/parkinsons-pocket-doctor
Sudden death in athletesYou may have heard reports of seemingly healthy young athletes suddenly dropping down dead in the middle of a game. Professor Paulus Kirchhoff from the University of Birmingham studies the genetic defects that lead to this condition- a rare form of h...Mon, 08 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:34death,heart attack,heart disease,genetic,healthy,exercisenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sudden-death-in-athletes
Bereavement suppresses the Immune SystemHave you ever heard of someone dying of a broken heart? In fact, it is remarkably common for elderly people who were previously healthy to die soon after their spouse. But why? New research from the University of Birmingham has discovered that it is ...Mon, 08 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:27ag,older,healthy,immune system,pneumonia,stressnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bereavement-suppresses-the-immune-system
Unlocking Stonehenge's secretsPreviously undiscovered monuments surrounding the stone circle have been found, using highly advanced geophysical tools and laser scanners in order to search the landscape and identify what lies beneath Stonehenge......Mon, 08 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:09stonehenge,stonecircle,stone circle,archaeology,archaeologist,burial,barrow,mound,dig,diggnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/unlocking-stonehenges-secrets
Colour changing cuttlefishOctopuses and cuttlefish are well known for their astonishing ability to change colour almost instantaneously. Can we copy this system to create a camouflaging material? John Rogers from the University of Illinois reveals all... ...Sun, 07 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:58cuttlefish,colour,change,camouflage,octopu,cephalopodnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/colour-changing-cuttlefish
Your Immune system vs CancerCancer is one of the world's biggest killers, and current treatments often have terrible side effects. So scientists have begun looking into ways to help the body's own defenses fight back. When have a bacterial or viral infection, our immune...Sun, 07 Sep 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:11cancer,immune systems, white blood cell, health, treatmentsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/your-immune-system-vs-cancer
The problem with passportsHave you ever seen somebody in the street and thought you know them, until you get closer and realise it's a different person entirely. Matching faces to memories or pictures is easier for some people than it is for others. But what happens if you...Tue, 26 Aug 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:47passports,photo,recognition,faces,control,securitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-problem-with-passports
Star dustStardust returns ...Wed, 20 Aug 2014 13:46:45 GMT00:15:05stardust,nasa,stars_07,probe,space,solar system,interstellar medium,dust particlesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/star-dust
A Wired SocietyMemory boosting drugs, the military, the legal system and enhancing athletes mental focus and muscle tone. Where should neuroscience stop? How a revolution in technology is bringing an unprecedented flood of information about the brain and with this,...Tue, 19 Aug 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:40:30Anthropology,Psychology,Neuroscience,Technology,Medicine,decision making,parkinson's disease,brain scans,parkinson',parkinson's,autism,legal,anxiety,military,scans,games,mood,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-wired-society
The evolution of the British peppered mothThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Ilik Saccheri and Arjen Van 't Hof of the University of Liverpool describe how the British Peppered Moth changed from peppered to black during the Industrial Revolution in northern England....Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:39:13 GMT00:19:49peppered moth,peppered,moth,british,evolution,of,planet earth podcast,planet earth,england,northern,changed,podcast,black,planet,university,week,how,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-evolution-of-the-british-peppered-moth
Our leaky ancestorGoing back through the generations, eventually you come to the ancestor of all life on earth, something scientists call LUCA (last universal common ancestor).
LUCA lived on a hydrothermal vent deep under the ocean, and probably used energy from th...Mon, 18 Aug 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:13:15luca,last universal common ancestor, naked scientists, hydrothermal ventsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/our-leaky-ancestor
How to make energy from oil-eating microbesOne of the remarkable things about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico four years ago was the fact that a lot of the contamination was cleaned up by bacteria which simply ate the oil.
Now there's more understanding of how microbe...Fri, 08 Aug 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:23energy,oil,microbes,bacteria,methane,extractionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-to-make-energy-from-oil-eating-microbes
Remembering to live to a ripe old ageHello I'm Naked Scientist Hannah Critchlow and I'm concerned about aging. Alzheimer's disease affects around half a million of us in the UK alone, and this number is predicted to increase as the population gets older. However, this week ...Tue, 05 Aug 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:17:05alzheimer's disease,long,age,forget,memory,learn,exercise,food.nofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/remembering-to-live-to-a-ripe-old-age
In Conversation with Martyn PoliakoffType "mad scientist hair" into Google and the number one result is this man, who is one of the country's leading lights in green chemistry but has also attracted a fan base of thousands online with a youtube presence devoted to bringing ...Mon, 04 Aug 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:27:15professor martyn poliakoff cbe,chemistry,green chemistry,science,conversationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/in-conversation-with-martyn-poliakoff
Do you own a jealous dog?Dogs may become jealous if owners pay more attention to another dog. ...Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:04:22 GMT00:15:45jealous,dog,pet,owners,animal,emotions,christine harrisnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/do-you-own-a-jealous-dog
Is there a genetic link to schizophrenia?A large international study has uncovered the strongest evidence yet for a genetic link to schizophrenia. The study, published in Nature this week, is the work of a large collaborative group of scientists known collectively as the Psychiatric Genomic...Mon, 28 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:31schizophrenia,new research,genetic,genetic,smitha mundasadnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/is-there-a-genetic-link-to-schizophrenia
Will reading as a child make you a smarter adult?Were you a bookworm as a child? If you were, it might be making you smarter as an adult, according to a new study of identical twins, revealing that better reading ability at a younger age is linked to higher intelligence later in life.Kat spoke to p...Mon, 28 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:14naked scientists, reading, books, bookworm, child, adult, stuart richienofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/will-reading-as-a-child-make-you-a-smarter-adult
The true cost of farming?When you're deciding what to have for dinner tonight, you might like to think about the environmental impact the food you're choosing. It's long been known that vegetarian crops take up less room, and need less energy to grow than meat f...Sun, 27 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:02naked scientists, farming, cost, beef, environment, agriculturenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-true-cost-of-farming
How windfarms affect seals?Seals are using windfarms and under sea pipelines as bases for their hunting and fishing exploits. St Andrews University scientist Deborah Russell and her Dutch colleagues glued GPS trackers to the fur of seals living along the coastlines of Germany ...Sun, 27 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:22naked scientists, debbie russell, seals, windfarms, marine mammalsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-windfarms-affect-seals
Gut bacteria seek out injuriesMarshall Montrose, of the University of Cincinnati, explained to Chris Smith how these gut bacteria, present in half the population's stomachs, can cause problems. Small wounds in the stomach lining, caused by things like aspirin, are quickly and ...Thu, 17 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:41heliobacter pylori,gut,stomachs,lining,ulcer,gastric canc,aspirin,injuriesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/gut-bacteria-seek-out-injuries
Obesity affects learningIfat Levy from Yale University explains to Kat Arney her recent study which looked at participants ability to learn in a task which exposed them to images of money and food. Obese women who were exposed to images of food during the task, showed impai...Wed, 16 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:19obesity,fat,food,women,learning,images, reward impaired learning, naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/obesity-affects-learning
Is your sleep account in credit?Fruit flies to understand getting our sleep bank account in credit, how we perceive passing of time to help make up our minds in tricky situations. Plus in the news, people prefer shocks to thought. How long could you be left alone with your thoughts...Mon, 07 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:36:38sleep,Neurosciences,Psychology,Medicine,Biology,fruit flies,neuroscience,bank,flies,alone,fruit,reporting,breaking,left,understand,thought,help,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/is-your-sleep-account-in-credit
Morality and MotivationWould you kill a person to save five others? Does religion evade morality by omission? And can you tweak people's motivations? Reporting on Morality and Motivation in Milan, with breaking hot neuroscience research presented at the FENS 2014 confer...Sat, 05 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:40:19Psychology,Neurosciences,Biology,fen,neuroscience,conference,reporting,kill,sense,morality,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/morality-and-motivation
The Summer Science Exhibition 2014Every year the Royal Society hosts the Summer Science exhibition, where members of the public get a chance to see some of the amazing work being done by scientists around the UK. The Naked Scientists take a look around to meet the world's clumsies...Wed, 02 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:57royal society,summer science,exhibition,gorgosauru,phil mann,matt edgar,ozy ismail,UCL,manchest,glasgow universitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-summer-science-exhibition-2014
People prefer shocks to thoughts!How long could you be left alone with your thoughts? 10 seconds? A minute? Well, according to a new study published in the journal Science, people really don't like to be left alone with nothing to do other than think. In fact, when participants o...Wed, 02 Jul 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:36challenge,Psychology,Evolution,electric shock,choice,men,electric,LED,journal,women,study,left,research,university,fact,science,long,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/people-prefer-shocks-to-thoughts
'Neonics' linked to honeybee declineNeonicotinoids are a group of chemical used as a pesticide on crops. In fact, they're so effective at killing pests, they're currently the most widely used insecticide in the world.
These chemicals target the nervous system by mimicking the a...Fri, 27 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:13:47honeybee,between,bumble,naked scientist,pesticide,chemical,harm,killing,insecticide,neonicotinoids,neonicotinoidsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/neonics-linked-to-honeybee-decline
Can we use faces as passwords?Passwords are a tricky business, with thousands of people forgetting them every day, and some being hacked or guessed. The University of York has tested the idea of using recognisable faces which are unique to us, instead of written passwords, as pro...Thu, 26 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:20facelock,rob jenkin,passwords,forgetting,faces,rememb,facebooknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-we-use-faces-as-passwords
Mobile MicrobiomesIt's not just conversations that we share with our mobiles, but also our bacterial blueprints!
According to Oregon scientist James Meadow, every time you interact with your phone you deposit a bug fingerprint unique to you. And this means that o...Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:16:00mobiles,phone,bacterial,microbes,naked scientistnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mobile-microbiomes
UK government bans 'Qat'As of midnight on Tuesday, the herb "qat" became a Class C drug. Users chew the leaves of this east African flowering plant to achieve a buzz which, some say, is similar to caffeine. The ban is surprising because the UK's Advisory Counci...Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:17:42drug,qat,khat,UK,bans,legal,effect,science,naked scientist,david nuttnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/uk-government-bans-qat
Cheaper Solar PanelsUsing a cheap chemical used normally to make tofu stick together, scientists at the University of Liverpool have stumbled upon a much more environmentally-friendly and cheaper way to manufacture very light-weight solar panels called thin film photovo...Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:58solar panels,chloride,cadmium,solar energy,cell,jon maj,mark peplow,magnesium,tofunofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cheaper-solar-panels
Why stress causes heart attacksYou've probably heard the idea that stress gives you a heart attack, and we certainly know that it is a risk factor, along with things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking. But exactly how stress affects the body to incr...Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:19heart, attacks, white blood cells, blood, cardiovascular, stressnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-stress-causes-heart-attacks
Do we need another whooping cough vaccine?Whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the '100 day cough', kills around 300,000 people per year, but is one of the most common diseases that can be prevented by vaccine. Children in Britain are vaccinated several times before starting sc...Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:27whooping cough,vaccination,vaccine,kay wang,hospitalnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/do-we-need-another-whooping-cough-vaccine
Why Salamanders can't get leglessSalamanders can grow back entire limbs if they lose them. A team at University College London lead by Dr Max Yun are looking at the genetic pathways that enable these amphibians to regenerate their arms and legs. This could help us understand how hum...Mon, 23 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:14naked scientists, salamander, UCL, legs, grow, regenerate, stem cells, wolverinenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/why-salamanders-cant-get-legless
The Science of Making ColourThe latest digital imaging techniques are literally throwing new light on the ingenious variety of materials that have been used over the centuries to create artists' paint pigments.
A new exhibition at the National Gallery in London is looking a...Sun, 22 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:09naked scientists, jane reck, colour, science, national gallery, london, easelnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-science-of-making-colour
The Future of Flooding in BritainSix months after some of the worst flooding witnessed in Britain, Professor David Dermeritt from Kings College London explains to Graihagh Jackson how these deluges have changed Britain's policies on how we manage rivers, risks and rising water le...Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:13:47naked scientists, flood, flooding, management, climate change, britain, global
warming, defencesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-future-of-flooding-in-britain
Mountaintop blasted to build largest telescopeThis week, 3000 metres up a Chilean mountain, scientists pressed the button to blow up half a million tonnes of rock. The mountain's called Cerro Armazones and the reason it was being blown up was to create the site for what will become the world...Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:50naked scientists, science, astronomy, telescope, mountain, chilenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mountaintop-blasted-to-build-largest-telescope
Renewable BioplasticsBacteria that can degrade the woody material in plant waste and turn it into an oil-free material for plastics manufacture have been developed by scientists at Warwick University in Britain. Professor Tim Bugg told Chris more... ...Wed, 18 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:23naked scientists, renewable plastic, bioplastic, lignin, pulp, bacteria, tim bugg, warwicknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/renewable-bioplastics
One-two punch for evolutionThere's a new theory this week claiming that men's faces evolved to take punches. It comes from researchers at the University of Utah and goes against a previous theory that craniofacial evolution was driven by a diet of nuts, seeds and veget...Sun, 08 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:15:31naked scientists, face, evolution, punches, skull, humansnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/one-two-punch-for-evolution
Massive Super-EarthHas the likelihood of alien life existing just become a lot more likely? Astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics announced this week that they have found what's being dubbed the "Godzilla of Earths" - it's a r...Fri, 06 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:10naked scientists, aliens, ET, extra, terrestrial, life, earth, exoplanets, astrophysics,
cosmology, astronomynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/massive-super-earth
Seabirds Chase Ships for FoodGannets are using fishing boats as fast-food outlets, chasing them for miles over the ocean. Thomas Bodey explains to Chris Smith how GPS tracking on both the birds and ships shows that the gannets can tell trawlers from yachts. But there might be a ...Thu, 05 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT00:14:54naked scientists, gannet, seabird, trawler, fish, GPS, Thomas Bodey, boatnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/seabirds-chase-ships-for-food
Does Nicolas Cage cause drownings?Does Nicolas Cage cause people to drown in swimming pools? Does margarine consumption lead to divorce? Tyler Vigen looked at relations between seemingly unrelated statistics to highlight how correlation can be misleading. ...Thu, 05 Jun 2014 11:06:00 GMT00:13:18naked scientists, nicolas cage, tyler vigen, spurious, correlation, swimming pool, margarinenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/does-nicolas-cage-cause-drownings
The Battle of the SexesThe course of true love never did run smooth and this can be seen across the animal kingdom too. The Malacological Society of London held their annual meeting and this year it was all about sexual selection....Sun, 16 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:14:46naked scientists, Sexual selection, malacological society of london, snails, hermaphroditesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-battle-of-the-sexes
Selecting Species to SaveWith as much as 30% of all species potentially at risk of extinction, there is a 'Noah's ark' problem of selecting which species to save. This week the Royal Society held a meeting to discuss extinction risks and the best strategies to p...Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:14:51naked scientists, conservation, tree of life, extinction, EDGE, Royal Society, Jonathan Davies, Jon Paul Rodriguez, Laura Pollocknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/selecting-species-to-save
The Naked Mole RatThe peculiarities of the naked mole-rat: what can we learn from them? Cambridge University pharmacologist Ewan St John Smith hosts this meeting of Cafe Scientifique, Cambridge, kicking off with an interview about the naked mole rat with Chris Berrow...Thu, 27 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:24:19naked mole rat, Ewan St John Smith, cafe scientifique, chris berrownofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-naked-mole-rat
David Willetts AAAS Audio BlogUK Universities and Science Minister, David Willetts, becomes his own radio presenter; here, on a tour organised by the UK's Science and Innovation Network, he charts his meetings with scientists and entrepreneurs in Chicago, including discovering...Thu, 20 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:43:30david willetts, batteries, smart grids, supercomputers, entrepreneurs,synthetic biology, business incubators, aaas, martyn poliakoff, mary bownes,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/david-willetts-aaas-audio-blog
David Willetts Speech to the AAASAddressing the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2014 meeting in Chicago, David Willetts, UK Minister for Universities and Science, outlines how the special relationship between Britain and the US, coupled with competition an...Sat, 15 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:31:27naked scientists, david willetts, AAAS,8 great technologiesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/david-willetts-speech-to-the-aaas
Packing Up a MuseumMoving house is one of life's most stressful events; so imagine packing up 4 million artifacts of a museum collection. That's exactly what they are doing at Cambridge University's museum of Zoology. Harriet Johnson went to find out how t...Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:16:07naked scientists, museum, zoology, dolphin, tasmanian tiger, darwin specimens, newtons parakeetsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/packing-up-a-museum
Can we eradicate Polio?Polio might not have been seen in Britain since the 1980's, but despite worldwide efforts the potentially fatal disease is still endemic in three countries. Kate Lamble caught up with the Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health, Profe...Mon, 27 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT00:16:39naked scientists, polio, vaccine, disease, eradicate, pakistan, afghanistan, indianofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/can-we-eradicate-polio
Naked Scientists Guide to GeneticsIn The Naked Scientists Guide to Genetics, Simon Bishop explores some common genetics terms, meets a creature from the depths of the sea floor, and befriends a family of fancy rats! The terms DNA, genes, chromosomes and inheritance are explored PLUS ...Fri, 13 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:36:54genetics,dna,chromosome,phenotype,genotype,allele,inheritance,gene,mutationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/naked-scientists-guide-to-genetics
#genes2shape: Asymmetry... in snailsRecorded at the 2013 Genetics Society Autumn Meeting 'From Genes to Shape', Simon Bishop meets Harriet Johnson, who works on the genes behind left-right asymmetry... in snails. ...Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:12:47gen,work,asymmetry,snail,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/genes2shape-asymmetry-in-snails
#genes2shape: Tubby - from obesity to drought toleranceRecorded at the 2013 Genetics Society Autumn Meeting 'From Genes to Shape', Simon Bishop meets Marco Reitz, who works on the conserved gene 'Tubby'. So-called because mutant Tubby creates obese mice, the gene has a very different ro...Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:13:40obese,mice,plants,gen,work,drought,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/genes2shape-tubby-from-obesity-to-drought-tolerance
Afghanistan on the brainThe mental scars left after trauma and how ecstasy can help treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)....Wed, 27 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:16:31disord,post traumatic stress disord,trauma,naked scientists, mark lyndhurst, gary pollard, sugery, amy milton, trauma, ecstasy, MDMAnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/afghanistan-on-the-brain
A weather forecast, for the dinosaursCould plankton hold the key to understanding ancient climate conditions? New research suggests ocean temperatures from 200 million years ago could be encoded in sea shell chemistry. Simon Bishop spoke to Professor Simon Redfern from the University of...Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:15:35dinosaur,temperatures,sea,be,weath,forecast,plankton,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/a-weather-forecast-for-the-dinosaurs
Bodyguard drugs and TBTuberculosis is a major world problem, but extremely difficult to treat - vaccines are toxic to humans, and the disease-causing bacteria have a habit of hiding in the very cells tasked with destroying them. Immune system bodyguard drugs that fend off...Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:15:56habit,vaccine,speak,immune,drugs,disease,cells,research,cell,human,work,be,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bodyguard-drugs-and-tb
Packing plants with eco energySuper energy-rich biofuels could soon be possible because of new research, dramatically reducing the environmental impact of intensive farming....Wed, 23 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:14:45farm,impact,plant,research,be,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/packing-plants-with-eco-energy
How important are the microorganisms all around us?Dr. Jack Gilbert explains some of the surprising effects that microorganisms can have on our lives....Wed, 23 Oct 2013 14:08:21 GMT00:17:34naked scientists, microbiome, meta-genomicsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-important-are-the-microorganisms-all-around-us
Diagnosing Emerging DisordersHow do you look for the cause of a brand new medical problem? Simon Bishop speaks to Professor David Goldstein about using genetic sequencing to uncover the cause of new disorders....Tue, 15 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:02speak,medical,genetic sequenc,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/diagnosing-emerging-disorders
Stopping HIV SpreadHIV attacks the immune system, invading one type of cell called a CD4 lymphocyte. The virus encourages infected cells to sidle up alongside healthy, uninfected cells before making them unload an infectious cargo of HIV, passing on the virus. Now rese...Sat, 05 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:26naked scientists, HIV, ADAP, Chris Rudd, viral synapse, CD4 lymphocytesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/stopping-hiv-spread
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo ConservationOne of Perth, Western Australia's best-loved and most striking birds - the red-tailed black cockatoo - once common, is now in severe decline. Victoria Gill met Murdoch University's Dr Kristen Warren who has been trying to find out why, by ...Wed, 02 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:45perth,trip,conservation,victoria gill, cockatoos, conservationnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/red-tailed-black-cockatoo-conservation
Self-Healing ConcreteInspired by biological systems that can self-repair, Diane Gardner is working on polymer 'ligaments', micro capsules of regenerative fluid and even embedded bacteria that can help concrete to repair itself when it cracks. The technology has t...Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:08:25 GMT00:16:19self-healing concrete, cracking concrete, matthew burnett, diane gardner, naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/self-healing-concrete
Tackling the tangles in Alzheimer's DiseaseUntil recently, it has been extremely difficult to track the progression of Alzheimer's disease, as the neurons of the brain which are affected by the disease are impossible to view directly. However this week a Japanese research group, writing th...Wed, 25 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:49radioactive,neuron,imag,track,medical,development,treatment,journal,naked scientist,lead,disease,brain,research,scientist,be,tangle,alzhiem,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/tackling-the-tangles-in-alzheimers-disease
British Science Festival 2013: Victorian ScienceThe Victorian Science Spectacular came to Newcastle as part of the British Science Festival, and Ginny Smith went along to see what it was all about, and caught up with some of the performers afterwards. Dr Aileen Fyfe and Prof. Iwan Morus showed wha...Mon, 16 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:23victorian, festival, naked scientists, history of sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/british-science-festival-2013-victorian-science
2013.09.17 - British Science Festival 2013: Ancient Parasites Treat AllergiesAncient parasites could be used to cure severe allergy sufferers according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Matt Burnett discovers how Dr Piers Mitchell has unearthed which parasites infected our ancient ancestors. Doctors could use ...Mon, 16 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:14:50hay fever,asthma,inflammatory bowel disease,ancestors,festival,ancestor,attention,ancient,immune system,immune,disease,university,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/20130917-british-science-festival-2013-ancient-parasites-treat-allergies
British Science Festival 2013: Ugly Animal Preservation SocietyThis week after public vote, the Blobfish was announced to be the world's ugliest animal. The poll was run by Ugly Animal Preservation Society, a group of comedians and scientists who are part of a comedy show aiming to champion some of nature...Thu, 12 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:27vote,cast,festival,nature,naked scientist,show,science,scientists,scientist,be,blobfish,simon watt,ugly animal preservation,preservation,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/british-science-festival-2013-ugly-animal-preservation-society
British Science Festival 2013: Sugata Mitra's School in the CloudSugata Mitra's 'Hole in the Wall' experiments in a New Delhi slum showed how easily children can learn using the internet, with no adult supervision or guidance. He terms this Minimally Invasive Education, and has since repeated the expe...Wed, 11 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:11education, learning, internet, sugata mitra, cloud based teachingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/british-science-festival-2013-sugata-mitras-school-in-the-cloud
Diabetes Management - On your phone!Is real-time blood sugar monitoring on your phone a pipe dream? Not according to Professor Mike Trenell at Newcastle University. Matt Burnett finds out about the diabetic athletes testing a new diabetes monitoring system on a 2100km bicycle tour from...Wed, 11 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:14:24naked scientists, diabetes, real-time monitoring, smart phonesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/diabetes-management-on-your-phone
Autism and dancingDancing is a complicated skill, and learning a new routine changes the brain. Ginny Smith caught up with Antonia Hamilton and Emily Cross at the British Science Festival to find out more about their research, and how it might be shedding light on the...Tue, 10 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:09festival,children,science,naked scientists, learning, autismnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/autism-and-dancing
British Science Festival 2013: Healthy Life SimulationThe population of the modern world is ageing. However, not everyone's quality of ageing is equal and simple factors, such as where we live, can have a major impact on how healthy we are in to old age. Peter Gore, Professor of Practice for Ageing a...Tue, 10 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:18:10PET,healthy,impact,age,real,naked scientist,live,life,university,scientist,healthy life simulation,peter gore,old age,quality of life,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/british-science-festival-2013-healthy-life-simulation
British Science Festival 2013: Ceri Brenner, LasersRutherford Appleton Central Laser Facility scientist Dr Ceri Brenner enlightens Ginny Smith about the world of lasers at the British Science Festival, 2013....Mon, 09 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:54british science festival,ceri brenner,laser,science,scientist,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/british-science-festival-2013-ceri-brenner-lasers
British Science Festival 2013: Cosmic Rays and TechnologyPhysicist Chris Frost explains, at the British Science Festival 2013, how cosmic rays disrupt the everyday technologies we rely on, as he outlines for Naked Scientist Priya Crosby......Mon, 09 Sep 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:17:39cosmic rays, cosmic ray impact on technology and electronics, chris frost, naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/british-science-festival-2013-cosmic-rays-and-technology
The Science of Spin BowlingToday marks the first day of the fourth test in the Ashes and while England have already retained the urn, they're hoping that their spin bowlers, including the likes of Monty Panesar can help secure a series win.
Dominic Ford wanted to find out t...Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:39:08 GMT00:16:54naked scientists, spin, bowling, cricket, ashesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-science-of-spin-bowling
Diamond Lasers - Just a James Bond fantasy?Diamonds are the new best friends of laser scientists.
A new world of lasers is now being created through research which is harnessing the exceptional qualities of diamonds. It will open up new possibilities in the way that lasers can be used in a...Fri, 09 Aug 2013 11:01:54 GMT00:16:28naked scientists, diamond, laser, EPSRCnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/diamond-lasers-just-a-james-bond-fantasy
The Science of the Working LunchWe are often encouraged to relax during our lunch break, but research suggests that this can do interesting things to our minds....Fri, 02 Aug 2013 15:26:50 GMT00:16:03naked scientists, lunch, working, psycologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-science-of-the-working-lunch
What Makes Plumes on Enceladus - Matt HedmanEnceladus, the tiny Saturnian satellite, regularly issues jets of salty water from its south pole that reaches kilometres in height above the moon's surface. But what drives this process? Gravitational tidal forces caused by an eccentric orbit, it...Thu, 01 Aug 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:17naked scientists, enceladus, matt hedman, cassini, plumes, gravitational tidal forcesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-makes-plumes-on-enceladus-matt-hedman
Cycle SafetyHow can you make sure you are safe when you cycle? It might be more difficult that you think to ensure cars spot you......Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:55naked scientists, cycling, bicycle, safety, psychology, attentionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cycle-safety
Exercise away the risk of stroke?Scientists at the University of South Australia have shown that regular exercise can dramatically reduce your risk of having a stroke in later life. Priya Crosby spoke to first author on the paper, Dr. Michelle McDonnell to find out more....Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:22australia,risk,life,university,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/exercise-away-the-risk-of-stroke
Brain scans to improve autism diagnosisLast week, a group at the University of California, Davis, released a paper which highlights the potential for the use of MRI brain scans in the diagnosis of autism in children. Priya Crosby spoke to first author of the paper, Mark Shen, to find out ...Thu, 18 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:29brain scan, naked scientists, MRI, autism, diagnosisnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/brain-scans-to-improve-autism-diagnosis
Giant Water LilyThe Cambridge Botanic Gardens play host to a giant water lily, with leaves a small child can stand on, and a flower that undergos an overnight sex change. Ginny Smith went to talk to Alex Summers about this incredible plant....Sat, 13 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:45naked scientists, plants, water lily, biologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/giant-water-lily
National Astronomy Meeting: ThursdayDark matter has long been needed by cosmologists to explain how structures like galaxies remain so strongly bound together. Catherine Peymans from the University of Edinburgh tells me about the latest models of dark matter, meanwhile Benoit Famaey an...Wed, 03 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:43:24dark matter, gravitation, asteroids, surveys, astronomynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/national-astronomy-meeting-thursday
The Enigma MachineLast week marked the 101st birthday of the code-breaker and computer scientist Alan Turing, so Ginny Smith met up with James Grime, from the Enigma Project, to find out more about the German code machine that Turing and his colleagues at Bletchley Pa...Tue, 02 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:19naked scientists, enigma machine, alan turingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-enigma-machine
National Astronomy Meeting: WednesdayWhat will the last remaining lifeforms on the Earth look like as the Sun swells to become a red giant star? And why might future robotic explorers of the Moon find themselves engulfed in dust? Both of these questions were discussed at the National As...Tue, 02 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:41:31habitable,grid,storm,astronomy,orbit,stars,star,solar,red,r,planet,earth,red dwarf,solar storm,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/national-astronomy-meeting-wednesday
National Astronomy Meeting: TuesdayI find out how the British Geological Survey is investigating the threat that solar storms pose to the world's electricity grids. David Southwood, President of the RAS, tells me that astronomy is about much more than just understanding the Univers...Mon, 01 Jul 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:40:21sun, red dwarf, habitable zone, supernova, dark energy, national gridnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/national-astronomy-meeting-tuesday
National Astronomy Meeting: MondayDavid Southwood, President of the Royal Astronomical Society, tells me why NAM is so important to him. I hear about plans to double the size of the Liverpool Telescope, the sparkles in the Sun which have only recently come to light, and how gravitati...Sun, 30 Jun 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:41:42quasar, solar flares, liverpool telescope, royal astronomical society, rocket, sparklesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/national-astronomy-meeting-monday
Technology and TennisTechnological advances in racquets and balls are changing the way tennis is played, including allowing us to reach incredible 163mph serves. To find out how, Ginny Smith visited a tennis court in Fulbourn to speak to Dr Alison Cook from the sports...Sat, 29 Jun 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:16:06naked scientists, tennis technology, tennis balls, science and sportnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/technology-and-tennis
How do we make the right decisions?Clinical Neuropsychologist Barbara Sahakian explains why some people find it difficult to make decisions that are beneficial to them, and how drugs could help....Fri, 28 Jun 2013 15:50:01 GMT00:27:44naked scientists, bipolar, neuropsychology, mood disorder, decisions, bad moves,
sahakiannofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-do-we-make-the-right-decisions
CatalystsCatalysts...Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:39:38catalysis, mof, methanol, biofuel, industry, hub, reactionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/catalysts
Naked in CheltenhamGinny Smith talked to scientists performing at Chetenham Science Festival, as well as trying out some hands- on activities....Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:45:14naked scientists, Cheltenham, Science, experiments, interviewsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/naked-in-cheltenham
What is Random?We were discussing on the radio today how random numbers are generated, and how could it be proved - to the satisfaction of a mathematician - that the number really is random? Evan Stanbury explains......Thu, 16 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:15:04evan stanbury,generat,radio,numb,be,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-is-random
Science Toys, for Boys?A campaign has been launched to stop science toys being sold by some stores as "toys for boys". But what does science say on the matter? Introduced here by BBC 5 Live's Dotun Adebayo, Ginny Smith has been investigating......Mon, 13 May 2013 16:07:35 GMT00:17:40naked scientists, gender and toy preference, boy toy preferencesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/science-toys-for-boys
Touching Up On Art RestorationContinuing from our podcast Restoring the Masters, Sally Woodcock, a PhD student from the Hamilton Kerr Institute talks about how we restore old oil paintings to their former glory....Thu, 02 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT00:17:19student,talk,restoration,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/touching-up-on-art-restoration
Science In-SituThis month we explore science 'in action' as we discover how researchers at the synchrotron are experimenting with implants, industrial catalysts and engine materials In-Situ! We discover how manipulating materials as they form can help creat...Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:37:05implants,synchrotron,catalyst,diamond,implant,efficiency,engine,reaction,create,experiment,material,help,long,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/science-in-situ
BANG! Naked Science FestivalBreasts, bazookas, bosons and bombs: The Naked Scientists take to the stage for the Cambridge Science Festival 2013. An explosive mix of fertile conversation and kitchen science......Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT01:09:43bazooka,conversation,bomb,festival,kitchen science,explosion,explosive,naked scientist,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bang-naked-science-festival
Tidal energy, turtle mating habitsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at the potential to generate up to 20 per cent of the UK's electricity from tidal energy; and why understanding the nuts and bolts of turtles' sex lives could help protect those most at risk....Tue, 12 Mar 2013 07:30:00 GMT00:29:53Planet Earth Podcast,generate,electricity,tidal energy,turtle,sex,protect,risknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/tidal-energy-turtle-mating-habits
What does DNA sequencing do for me?Cambridge chemist and biotechnologist Shankar Balasubramanian discusses DNA sequencing and its implications for health and disease....Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:28:10dna sequencing,dna, sanger sequencing, genome, pharmacogenomics, ethicsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-does-dna-sequencing-do-for-me
Ice-Quakes in SvalbardWe spoke to Emma Smith, a PhD student with the British Antarctic Survey about her work whilst she was based in the icy noth of Svalbard......Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:17:47ice, earthquake, svalbard,student,naked scientistsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ice-quakes-in-svalbard
Benedict CumberbatchSherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is the Cambridge Science Festival's guest director this year, meaning he's been assisting the Cambridge University festival team with putting together the programme for the two-week event, which launches on ...Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:34:57naked scientists,benedict cumberbatch, cambridge science festival, sherlocknofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/benedict-cumberbatch
Our ancient ancestors, deep sea wormsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why textbook illustrations of our early ancestors may have to be re-drawn; and why underwater canyons contain a wealth of life, including some rather ugly-looking worms....Tue, 19 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT00:29:02planet,worm,ancestor,earth,worms,life,deep sea,ancestors,sea,ancient,planet earth podcast,planet earth,tetrapodnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/our-ancient-ancestors-deep-sea-worms
Using Genetics to Save the Ash TreeThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: decoding the ash tree's entire genetic sequence to produce a strain which is more resilient to ash dieback; the challenges of extracting biofuels from algae; and the latest news on Planet Earth Online....Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT00:30:43genetic, algae,biofuel,earth,strain,genetics,planet earth podcastnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/using-genetics-to-save-the-ash-tree
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - Martin WelchResearchers at Cambridge University announced the discovery of a new way to attack the bacterial "superbug" Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which accounts for 6% of all hospital acquired infections and can be very hard to treat, particularly for pati...Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:18:10 GMT00:15:35naked scientists, pseudomonas aeruginosa, biofilmsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/pseudomonas-aeruginosa-martin-welch
Avian pox in UK great tits, top conservation issuesThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how a virus brought to the UK by insects poses a worrying threat to the country's great tit population; and which new technologies could affect global biodiversity in 2013....Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:46:49 GMT00:29:45Planet Earth Podcast,virus,insect,great tit,new technologies,biodiversitynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/avian-pox-in-uk-great-tits-top-conservation-issues
Climate tipping points, basking sharks, primatesThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why understanding where plankton congregates can help us protect basking sharks and other marine creatures; how primates planning ahead tells us about our own intelligence; and how to predict dangerous climate ...Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:29:55Planet Earth Podcast,plankton,basking sharks,marine,primate,intelligence,climate,tipping pointnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/climate-tipping-points-basking-sharks-primates
Protecting Nerves from DamageHow can we protect neurons from degeneration? In this podcast from Cambridge Cafe Scientifique, we hear how understanding transport of proteins and other chemicals within individual nerve cells may be key to keeping the cell alive after injury......Sat, 05 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT00:18:22naked scientists,neurons,degeneration,Cambridge Cafe Scientifique,axonal transport,proteins,nerve cellsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/protecting-nerves-from-damage
Planet Earth Podcast highlights from 2012This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at some of the highlights from 12 months of the Planet Earth Podcast, including: a hairy crab; earthquake monitoring in Turkey; air quality around London before the Olympics -- and early disease detecti...Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT00:35:33Planet Earth Podcast,hairy,crab,earthquake,Turkey,air,London,Olympics,disease,cave art,seabirdnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/planet-earth-podcast-highlights-from-2012
The Best of Synchrotron Science in 2012This month, we look back at Diamond's ten year anniversary celebrations to discover novel ways to store hydrogen gas, analyse the risks of a toxic mudspill and engineer tissues to prevent premature labour. We also get an overview of science at the...Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:53:21 GMT00:34:59labour,tissue engineering, hydrogen storage, MOFnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-best-of-synchrotron-science-in-2012
Extra Questions - The Science Behind BroadcastingHow does a radio broadcast work? We must have been on your wavelength this week, as we had more questions that we could fit in Naked Scientists Show! Here are the extra bits......Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT00:23:07filler,latency,budget,cod,fund,NICE,pow,speak,switch,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/extra-questions-the-science-behind-broadcasting
Citizen science projects, plants and greenhouse gasesThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how you can get involved in any one of the wealth of UK citizen science projects that have taken off recently, and why a little-known gas given off by many trees, ferns and mosses, could be contributing to glob...Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:50:49 GMT00:30:10Planet Earth Podcast,citizen science,gas,trees,ferns,moss,global warmingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/citizen-science-projects-plants-and-greenhouse-gases
Bat calls, weather balloons, telomeres and ageingThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: an online tool to identify bats is helping to protect them, and it could make a scientist of us all. Also, an audio diary from a researcher from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science who's on the Isle o...Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:51:20 GMT00:32:03Planet Earth Podcast,online tool,bats,audio diary,National Centre for Atmospheric Science,Isle of Arran,telomeres,ageingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bat-calls-weather-balloons-telomeres-and-ageing
Solutions to urban flooding, peatland carbon storageThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at potential solutions to urban flooding, and why scientists are so keen to measure carbon dioxide flow through the UK's Norfolk Fens....Thu, 15 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT00:28:35Planet Earth Podcast,urban flooding,carbon dioxide,Norfolk Fens,fenland,flood,co2,carbon storagenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/solutions-to-urban-flooding-peatland-carbon-storage
Stories from the SynchrotronFiction and Science collide this month as we discover the stories lurking beneath the surface of the synchrotron. We open up the books to investigate a disease outbreak on the grounds of Diamond and experience the onset of dementia first hand through...Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT00:42:11dementia,synchrotron,diamond,alzheimer's, protein, outbreak, plants, pathogensnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/stories-from-the-synchrotron
Unique plants in Bristol, contraceptives and fishThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how conservationists are using science to help protect rare plants found only in Bristol's Avon Gorge, and are feminised fish changing wild fish populations?...Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:00:00 GMT00:30:30Planet Earth,conservation,rare plants,Bristol,Avon Gorge,feminised fish,wild fish,contraceptivesnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/unique-plants-in-bristol-contraceptives-and-fish
Man-made salt marshes, ground heat, stormsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why salt marshes are so important, but are difficult to recreate; how storms are made; and why the ground beneath our feet could provide decades of natural heating....Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:01:00 GMT00:31:50Planet Earth Podcast,salt marsh,storms,heat,Natural Environment Research Councilnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/man-made-salt-marshes-ground-heat-storms
Sir John Gurdon, Nobel LaureateSir John Gurdon, from Cambridge University, talks to Chris Smith about the set of experiments that resulted in the award on the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine....Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:32:46john gurdon, embryology, nobel prize, nuclear transfernofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/sir-john-gurdon-nobel-laureate
Future-proofing forests, noisy gannets, AntarcticaThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: the steps scientists are taking to make sure the trees we plant today can cope with tomorrow's warmer climate; tracking gannets to find out how environmental change might affect them; and a tropical Antarctic...Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:25:00 GMT00:30:13Planet Earth Podcast,trees,plant,climate,gannet,environmental change,tropical,Antarctica,birds,migration,trackingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/future-proofing-forests-noisy-gannets-antarctica
Forecasting solar storms, fish personalitiesThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: why accurately forecasting solar storms is becoming increasingly important; and how understanding how fish shoal could interest economists....Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:06:29 GMT00:31:18Planet Earth Podcast,forecasting,solar storm,fish,shoal,economynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/forecasting-solar-storms-fish-personalities
Entering the Infra-Red ZoneThis month, discover how seeing red can help restore works of art and probe the origins of cancer. We delve into the world of Infra-red spectroscopy to reveal the creation and preservation of ancient pieces of art and the building techniques of ancie...Sun, 09 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:43:24diamond, infra-red, cancer, art, conservation, preservation, neolithicnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/entering-the-infra-red-zone
BSF 2012 - Subglacial Lakes & Food on the BrainIn the final of our special series of programmes from the British Science Festival, we find out how researchers will be drilling through over 3 kilometres of ice to find out what's hiding in subglacial Lake Ellsworth. Plus, how a high fat diet ma...Thu, 06 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:37:27lake ellsworth,drilling,festival,drill,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bsf-2012-subglacial-lakes-and-food-on-the-brain
BSF 2012 - Finding Higgs and Mining HeatIn this special edition of the Naked Scientists from the British Science Festival, we get the latest news from the Large Hadron Collider, including their scientific shopping list, and find out how heat pumps could extract household heatin...Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:43:47heat pump,LHC,Large Hadron Collider,mine,festival,min,scientists,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bsf-2012-finding-higgs-and-mining-heat
BSF 2012 - Seeing through Clothes and Water VolesIn the second special programme from the British Science Festival in Aberdeen, we discover the technology for seeing through your clothes and find out why "Lonely heart" teenage water voles can save whole populations. Plus, we discover why N...Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:43:14clothes,festival,wat,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bsf-2012-seeing-through-clothes-and-water-voles
Monitoring your Mobile PhoneWith 40% of adults in the UK now using smartphones, and similar figures worldwide, we discover how easy it is to track and profile peoples' movements using information given away in public by their mobile phones. We learn how hackers can use your ...Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:41:58 GMT00:23:13smartphon,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/monitoring-your-mobile-phone
BSF 2012 - Caring Technology and Colourful FossilsIn this, the first of a series of special podcasts from the British Science Festival, we discover the Wang Particle, find out how technology can help people stay more able until later in life, and how fossils are revealing their true colo...Mon, 03 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:40:41fossils,festival,colours,particle,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bsf-2012-caring-technology-and-colourful-fossils
Early tetrapods, upland rivers, North Anatolian FaultThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: what the first creatures to walk on land looked like; the connection between the biodiversity of upland rivers and the ecosystem services they provide; and in an audio diary from Turkey, a University of Leeds r...Mon, 03 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:29:16Planet Earth Podcast,biodiversity,upland river,ecosystem service,Turkey,North Anatolian Faultnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/early-tetrapods-upland-rivers-north-anatolian-fault
Saving SatellitesSatellites are essential, and not just for the latest television. Nation states rely on satellites for reconnaissance, navigation and secure communications. But satellites are under threat, from natural phenomenon like Space Weather events throu...Fri, 31 Aug 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:21:48space weath,satellit,safe,cyb,satellite,satellites,criminal,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/saving-satellites
Bees and sex, acid rain's legacy, cold water coralsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: sex and the survival of honey bee colonies; why rivers are still recovering from the legacy of acid rain; and collecting coral from the Atlantic seabed....Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:08:21 GMT00:31:19sex,coral,honey,bee,rain,seabed,acid,planet earth podcast,water,planet,earth,cold,atlanticnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bees-and-sex-acid-rains-legacy-cold-water-corals
Mars Curiosity ExtraNASA's David Blake from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover team and the Open University's Cassini-Huygens space probe pioneer John Zarnecki answer your questions about planetary exploration. This special podcast is an addendum ...Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:19:16ROV,scientists,cassini,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/mars-curiosity-extra
Early African dairy farming, seabird migrationsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how dairy farming in Africa 7000 years ago led to the speedy evolution of the gene that lets us digest milk; and how climate change could be having a detrimental effect on seabirds and fish in the Southern Ocea...Tue, 31 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT00:28:44fish,gene,climate,planet,LED,climate change,evolution,milk,ocean,africa,farming,earth,dairy,southern ocean,farm,planet earth podcastnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/early-african-dairy-farming-seabird-migrations
Brown water, bats and streetlights, plant methaneThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how browner drinking water presents problems for the water companies; the effect of street lighting on bats and their commuter routes; and how ultraviolet light makes plants emit methane....Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:05:00 GMT00:30:35Planet Earth Podcast,brown,drinking water,water,street lighting,bats,ultraviolet light,plants,methanenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/brown-water-bats-and-streetlights-plant-methane
Exciting new technologies that are revolutionising neuroscienceFind out about the exciting new technologies that are revolutionising neuroscience, providing scientists with the tools to unlock the mysteries of the mind and nervous system and paving the way for better treatments for patients....Mon, 16 Jul 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:21:05light, electricity, brain behaviour, optogenetics, Professor Karl Diesseroth, Professor Damiaan Denys, deep brain stimulation, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, ethics, Dr Joris Veltman, genetic testingnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/exciting-new-technologies-that-are-revolutionising-neuroscience
The Naked Scientists unravel the connections in your brainWe find out what happens when your immune system attacks the brain, how a protein providing the architecture of brain connectivity may help to treat people with autism, explore how scientists are using the power of light to cause, and then treat, add...Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:59:10 GMT00:20:17naked scientists, neuroscience, immune system, dendritic spine, autism, addiction, alzheimer's disease, social behaviour, communication, brain, neural circuitsnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-naked-scientists-unravel-the-connections-in-your-brain
The Naked Scientists strip down the brain in SpainThe Naked Scientists strip down the brain in Spain - attending the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies conference in Barcelona. We find out how your brain computes information, ask if watching worms can tell us about human social interactio...Sun, 15 Jul 2012 19:20:50 GMT00:20:09naked scientists, brain, neuroscience, choice, decision, social interaction, computation, neural codenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/the-naked-scientists-strip-down-the-brain-in-spain
Making a Material WorldThis month, we get materialistic to discover how X-rays are being used to improve light emitting diodes , how probing piezoelectric materials could provide a less toxic future and how solar cells are being made more efficient, using DNA! We also cele...Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:43:16 GMT00:48:31diode,synchrotron,solar cell,comet,diamond,light,cell,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/making-a-material-world
Urban heat, ancient cave art, bold birdsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at how urban heat islands will alter under climate change, and how these changes might affect your health, as well as our railways, roads and energy supplies. Also: why Europe's oldest cave art might n...Wed, 04 Jul 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:31:06Planet Earth Podcast,urban heat island,climate change,health,railways,energy supplies,cave artnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/urban-heat-ancient-cave-art-bold-birds
Bees, nanomaterials, and methane on MarsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: how knowing exactly which bees pollinate which crops may help us grow food more sustainably; and a look at the effects of tiny particles called nanomaterials on the environment and our health....Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT00:30:55pollinate,crop,sustainability,nano,nanoparticle,mars,methane,bee,environment,bees,planet earth podcast,pollinators,ecosystem services,planet,martiannofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/bees-nanomaterials-and-methane-on-mars
Medical diagnostics, the value of natureThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at how technology designed to measure air pollution may soon be used to smell disease on a patient's breath; and the steps British researchers are taking to put a value on all the benefits of nature th...Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:29:02ecosystem,ecosystem services,nature,biodiversity,smell,technology,disease,breath,planet earth podcast,pollution,ecology,diagnostics,floodnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/medical-diagnostics-the-value-of-nature
How Intelligence HappensThis month, Professor John Duncan explores human intelligence and the neurons and circuits in the brain that enable us to have the thoughts, cognition and problem-solving abilities that set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom......Thu, 24 May 2012 09:08:43 GMT00:29:37cognition,intelligence,circuit,animal,naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/how-intelligence-happens
Cold water corals, meteorites, new greenhouse gasesThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast - scientists describe why the planet's least understood but most diverse species of coral is under threat. Also, what the meteorite strike that wiped the dinosaurs out would've been like; and why co2 isn...Wed, 23 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT00:30:23Planet Earth Podcast,coral,meteorite,dinosaurs,CO2,greenhouse gas,coral reef,Cold water coral,oceans,Chicxulub crater,atmospherenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/cold-water-corals-meteorites-new-greenhouse-gases
Drought and record rainfall, indoor avalanchesThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: researchers explain why, despite record rainfall, England is in drought. Later, how scientists are using indoor avalanches to figure out where to put buildings and roads. Finally, news of ice loss in Antarctic,...Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:30:20avalanche,drought,antarctic,rainfall,bat,ice,road,planet earth podcast,NERCnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/drought-and-record-rainfall-indoor-avalanches
Microscopic plants, using volcanic ash for datingThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast - we take a closer look at tiny marine plants, which underpin the entire marine food chain and play a vital role in the Earth's climate. Also, how scientists are using volcanic ash called tefra to tell how peo...Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:40:00 GMT00:28:00Planet Earth Podcast,marine plants,marine food chain,plankton,climate,volcanic ash,tefra,environmental changenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/microscopic-plants-using-volcanic-ash-for-dating
Fungal threats, hydrothermal vents, green buildingsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast, how fungal infections could threaten our food security as well as the planet's amphibians; work under way to understand the ecosystems around the hydrothermal vents in the Southern Ocean; and how it's pe...Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT00:29:45Planet Earth Podcast,fungal infections,food security,amphibians,ecosystems,hydrothermal vents,Southern Ocean,green buildings, energy efficiencynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/fungal-threats-hydrothermal-vents-green-buildings
Pain and Pain Relief...Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:24:22 GMT00:30:17naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/pain-and-pain-relief
Air pollution, dwarf elephants and water footprints.This week in the Planet Earth Podcast, Richard Hollingham hears about new air-quality monitoring that could help mitigate the effects of bad-air days; the effect of climate change on Mediterranean dwarf elephants; and exactly how many litres of water...Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT00:30:32NERC,Planet Earth Podcast,air-quality monitoring,climate change,Mediterranean,dwarf elephants,water,water conservation,pollution,evolutionnofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/air-pollution-dwarf-elephants-and-water-footprints
Ten Years of DiamondThis month, we celebrate ten years of Diamond and discover what it takes to get from green field site to functioning synchrotron. We take a look at the wide range of science that's taken place from the probing of viruses to develop vaccines and th...Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT00:42:22naked scientists,kitchen sciencenofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/ten-years-of-diamond
What happens when we screw with our sleep patterns?Cambridge Neuroscientists Dr Michael Hastings and Dr Akhilesh Reddy spoke at the annual Cambridge Neuroscience Seminar about their work on sleep.
They discuss the importance of sleep for learning and memory, preventing cancer, the health of your h...Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:10:48 GMT00:22:08naked scientists, sleep, mike hastings, hannah critchlow, ak reddy, circadian rhythms, cognition, learning and memory, heart attacks, obesity, physiologynofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/what-happens-when-we-screw-with-our-sleep-patterns
Invasive signal crayfish, shags, night-shining cloudsThis week in the Planet Earth Podcast: Richard Hollingham finds out why the American signal crayfish is driving out one of the UK's native species; in our latest audio diary, Hannah Grist from the University of Aberdeen talks us through her resear...Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:00:00 GMT00:30:34nofullhttps://www.acast.com/naked_scientists_special_editions/invasive-signal-crayfish-shags-night-shining-clouds
A global classroom brings the oceans aliveMarine biologist Dr Joshua Drew from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago is using cutting edge communication technologies to bring the oceans alive in two very different parts of the planet. By connecting teenagers in Fiji and inner city C...Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT